Phyllis Leonora Holmes

Phyllis Leonora (Green) Holmes; a devoted wife, loving mother, and cherished aunt, relative, and friend to many; passed away peacefully on Friday, December 5, 2025, at the age of 99.

Phyllis was born on September 1, 1926, in the small town of Valley City, North Dakota, to Earl and Agnes Green. Her father, a World War I veteran, had settled in Valley City and worked at the local Pepsi bottling company. Phyllis grew up with her mother and three siblings; Jeanette, Edgar, and Ernie, in a small house where they made the most of their father's meager salary.

Phyllis enjoyed a happy childhood filled with lots of activities. She was a good ice skater, skating on the river when it froze; and was so quick and competitive playing street football that the local boys nicknamed her "Hurricane Green."

In her late teens; Phyllis, determined to contribute to the war effort, followed her sister Jeanette to Seattle to work for the Boeing Company. She and Jeanette were roommates, sharing an apartment with another Valley City friend, Babe.

While working as a secretary at Boeing she met her future husband, Don Holmes, when he poked his head into her workplace and asked, "Would you'all wanna go dancin'?" Though she was initially reluctant, Don's persistence won her over and they began dating.

Upon joining the Army, Don became a military policeman at the Presidio of San Francisco. Phyllis joined him and they were married in the Base Chapel on June 8, 1951. They then enjoyed a carefree life in San Francisco, where Phyllis worked as a secretary on the base.

After Don completed his military service, they returned to Seattle. In the mid-1950s they bought their first home on Queen Anne Hill; where they had their first son, Tim; second son, Phil; and their daughter, Nancy. In 1959, they moved their growing family to a second, larger, house on Queen Anne.

In 1963 Phyllis's father, Earl, passed away in Fargo, North Dakota. Phyllis, Don, and the three children drove back to Valley City for his final days and funeral. Following the service, Phyllis and Don decided to bring her mother, Agnes, back to Seattle to live with them. Phyllis spent the next few years raising her three children as well as caring for her mother.

In 1966, the family moved to Shoreline. With the children now able to take care of themselves, Phyllis returned to work as a secretary for a legal firm, Commerce Clearing House, commuting by bus every day to downtown Seattle. She also continued her role as the primary caregiver for her mother, Agnes, until she passed in 1985.

Phyllis and Don had season tickets for both the Huskies and the Seahawks. She thoroughly enjoyed meeting friends for tailgate parties before watching the games. She was also a talented bowler in the Sons of Norway bowling league, earning a wall full of well-deserved trophies as one of the best bowlers in that league.

As her family grew, Phyllis embraced the role of "Grammy;" giving her grandchildren and great-grandchildren love and attention.

In 2016, after Don began to decline in health, Phyllis and Don moved into an independent living apartment at Mountlake Terrace Plaza. Phyllis was Don's primary caregiver until his further decline

required his move to an Adult Family Home, where she faithfully visited him every single day until his passing in 2019.

Phyllis then lived fully and independently until October 2025, when her health began to rapidly decline. She leaves behind a deep and profound legacy of love for her family and friends.

Phyllis is survived by her three children, Tim (Julie), Phil (Jenny), and Nancy (Rod), as well as her eight beloved grandchildren and great-grandchildren.