Phyllis Marie "Cloonan" Ramage

Phyllis Marie Ramage (nee Cloonan) was born on November 10, 1938, at French Hospital in San Francisco, to Richard George and Irma Marie Cloonan. She is survived by her sister Marilyn Louise Hoffman; her son Jack Richard (Catherine) Ramage and daughter Michelle Ellen (James) Todd; her grandchildren Jack Lawrence (Courtney), Eric James (Renee), and Vanessa Catherine Claire (Austin Jeffery) Ramage, and Dylan James Todd; and her great-grandchildren Jackson, Carson, and Emma James.

Phyllis attended Presentation High School in San Francisco, then University of California San Francisco for Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Education. She became a teacher at Margaret Pauline Brown Elementary in Daly City. She met her husband Jack Gordon Ramage at the wedding of her best friend Shirley to William Angeloni. They married in August 1961. They were all life-long friends, sharing many family vacations over the years at their cabin in south Lake Tahoe, snow skiing in winter or hiking Horsetail Falls and river rafting in summer, water skiing at Lake Shasta, Lake Berryessa and Clear Lake, and at Bill and Shirley's home in Sonoma.

As a teacher, Phyllis was innovative and loved challenging herself. She taught many different grades but loved most and settled on fifth grade, feeling she could make the most difference with children at that age, especially those who she felt might be veering in the wrong direction. She set high expectations but also offered much compassion and encouragement, and families loved her for it – wanting all their children to experience Mrs. Ramage's fifth grade.

While still at MPB Elementary, she started an innovative Resource Room in which children were able to learn different skills and explore new abilities – the Maker Space of her time. After she moved to Sacred Heart School in Saratoga, and won a scholarship trip to Colonial Williamsburg, she enlivened the fifth grade Colonial Era history lessons to a re-creation experience – complete with full costumes, learning colonial skills like candle making and quill writing, and children bringing in gifts for the teacher like fruit, bread, or coal for the schoolroom potbelly stove.

In 1978, Jack caught the acting bug after performing in Fiddler on the Roof and they both got involved in multiple theater groups in the Bay Area – Peninsula Musical Theater, Hillbarn, Kiwanis and Chicken's Ball fundraising shows, Menlo Players Guild, Belmont Community Players, and primarily Claypipers Melodrama Theater in the Sierra foothills Gold Rush area, from 1980-1996.

Phyllis performed in shows and taught school into her 70s, retiring from teaching at Sacred Heart School in 2011. She worked as a substitute teacher for a few years after that, and continued to usher shows at Hillbarn Theater in Foster City into 2019.

Sadly, Phyllis was diagnosed with arteriosclerosis dementia, which her mother also had. A few months after Jack passed away in December 2019, she came out to Ohio to live with her daughter Michelle, then moved into Danbury Senior Living in Brunswick. During almost six years there, Phyllis was beloved by so many staff there – from care aides and nurses, to activities and dining staff, reception and housekeeping. Her nickname quickly became Philly Cheesesteak and so many staff were always saying how much they loved her smile, her humor, her soul.

After her long journey over six years, Phyllis passed away peacefully in her sleep on Monday, March 23, 2026.

A Memorial Service will be held on Sat, April 11,2026 at noon, at Baker, Kensinger Funeral Home, 206 Front Street in Berea, Ohio.

Phyllis will be interred with her late husband at Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma, California, after a memorial service in Daly City, Calif.; date to be determined.