Phyllis Dorian

Phyllis Dorian, born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1929, carried her feisty Brooklyn spirit throughout her life-even after moving to Florida in 1959.
A graduate of Hunter College, Phyllis began her career as a dietitian in a New York City hospital. In her twenties, she and a friend took an extended leave from work to travel throughout Europe. It was a journey that shaped her lifelong love of exploration, her curiosity about people and places, and her confidence as an independent woman.
She met her future husband, Lee, at a Jewish singles dance, only to discover that he lived right across the street in Brooklyn. After their marriage, the couple relocated to the Tampa Bay area, trading big-city life for a small Southern town. There, they found a community that became their extended family, sharing in every milestone-bar mitzvahs, graduations, weddings, births, and losses.
As the community grew, Lee, a real estate developer, helped build Temple B'nai Israel in Clearwater, which became a cornerstone of Phyllis's life. In her fifties, she had a bat mitzvah, a rite not available to her as a young woman.
Phyllis was a passionate champion of equality. She ensured that her children participated in school desegregation initiatives and took great pride in being part of this historic transition. She also dedicated herself to securing books and resources for long-neglected schools in an underserved community.
Wanting her children to understand the richness of a diverse world, she invited exchange students from Sweden, Italy, Brazil, Japan, and Israel to live with her family. These were relationships that endured long after their visits ended.
In 1983, Phyllis became a young widow after caring for Lee during his long illness. After his passing, she assumed management of a 33-unit apartment building he had built in downtown Clearwater. She embraced every challenge, from plumbing disasters to tenant disputes, and came to love the everyday interactions with the people who lived there.
She dedicated her time and talents to her community, serving as a trustee for both the Menorah Manor Foundation and the Menorah Manor Senior Living boards, and as treasurer for the Inn on the Pond senior living home.
She had a remarkable gift for connecting with people. If you rode in an elevator with Phyllis, she would know your entire life story by the time you reached the third floor. She was endlessly curious and equally engaged with people from all walks of life-from cab drivers to CEOs-and always sought to understand the person beneath the surface.
Phyllis returned to higher education in her fifties and earned a master's degree from the University of South Florida. She also completed a mediation course at Harvard, an achievement she regarded with great honor, and went on to build a career as a court-appointed mediator, working until she was in her eighties.
In 1989, she had a second chance at love when she met Irving Schoenberg. Together, they built a joyful life and traveled the world.
Family was always at the center of Phyllis's life. She adored her children, Marc and Robin; her daughter-in-law, Jen; her son-in-law, Nick; and her beloved granddaughters, Lily and Zoe. She delighted in hearing every detail of their lives.
No matter what challenges she faced, Phyllis met them with resilience. In the past year, she embraced a new chapter, moving into an independent senior living community where she flourished-making new friends, joining committees, working with a fitness trainer twice a week, and triumphing at nightly card and board games.
Phyllis was a super-ager with a youthful presence and the posture of a ballerina. She was spunky, tenacious, highly intelligent, and relished learning and keeping up with current events.
They say getting old is no picnic, but Phyllis did everything in her power to turn life into a beautiful feast.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to these charities:
Florida Holocaust Museum
https://13935a.blackbaudhosting.com/13935a/General-Donation
Menorah Life
https://menorahlife.org/donate/
Arbor Day Foundation
https://www.arborday.org/