Phyllis Ann Provost

Phyllis was a loving wife and a devoted mother, grandmother and great grandmother and a friend to many. She was born February 9, 1927, in Aurora Illinois. As a result of a union of Riley LeRoy Bower and Clara Grate. Phyllis was the younger of three, 1 brother, Lloyd, 20 years older (deceased) and a very important person in her life, her sister Dorothy, 13 years older (deceased). Roy was a handyman and Clara was a seamstress who made fur coats and crafts.

Clara went in for surgery when Phyllis was 5 years old and died during the surgery. This was a change in her life, but her sister Dorothy stepped up to shape the life of her sister.

Phyllis graduated from East Aurora High School. She loved high school volunteering for everything and joining every group. She then moved to LaGrange Illinois with her sister Dorothy and her husband Bob. She then attended Beauty School and became a Beautician working in shops and in her home. While working at a Tea Room (to earn money for beauty school) Rose Barton, who also worked there, introduced her to her brother, home on leave from the Air Force, and they immediately knew they had found their soulmate. His name was James Eugene Provost. When he returned from Saigon they were married on May 4, 1947. At the time she was not Catholic, and they were married upstairs in the Priests home.

They lived in Brookfield Illinois and had Richard, Paul, Mary Ellen, William, and Timothy. When Richard was in the Catholic School system everyone couldn’t believe Phyllis wasn’t catholic, so she made it official and became a convert. They were active in Scouting and Little League.

When Jim was very ill, they decided Arizona would be a good move so in August of 1979 they moved to Country Meadows. Jim died in 1987 and Phyllis decided to do her volunteer “ism” at St Joachim Church and was involved in Parish Council, Finance Committee, Money Counting, Preferred Sodality, Eucharist Minister, Home Bound, Parish Directory, Programming. She formed a Social Club in Country Meadows, volunteering at Boswell Hospital and doing good deeds wherever needed.

Cards were one of her many pleasures she played Pinocle, Bridge & Poker. She also loved knitting, sewing and beading.

She is survived by her two sons, 14 grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren and 3 great great grandchildren.

The hardest thing for her to do was to say “No.” She appreciated all the wonderful priests, and friends she had met and worked with in her life, she will be greatly missed.