Phyllis Pollack

Phyllis Addison Pollack Woman with a Flair Phyllis Addison Pollack, Master Flower Arranger who created artistic floral designs for the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, The Arts Guild of Sonoma and many private galleries, offices and homes, died peacefully in her sleep on January 3rd. She was 91. Born Phyllis Joyce Addison in Victoria B.C., Canada in 1919, she studied and excelled in Ballet at a young age. In 1939, she left home to perform with the Taynton Dancers, a Ballet Troupe within the traveling Marcus Show. After residencies in Los Angeles, Mexico City at the Palacio de Belles Artes and Havana, Cuba the troupe disbanded and Phyllis remained in Havana to dance as a soloist with the Ballets Russes which had gone on strike during the war. It was there she met her husband, Robert S. Pollack, a Cornell University Medical student studying tropical diseases on a summer fellowship. They returned to his hometown New York City and were married until his death 62 years later. The Pollacks moved to San Francisco in 1948 and settled in Hillsborough where they raised four children. In 1970 they moved to San Francisco and later retired in Sonoma. Phyl was a long-term member of Ikebana International and the Metropolitan Club. She was trained as a docent at the DeYoung Museum and completed her 5th certificate of the Sogetsu School of Ikebana of Japan. She and her husband who was a visiting surgeon and professor traveled to 40 countries on five continents. Known for her elegance and theatrical style, Phyllis is survived by four children, a son "R" Addison of Wyoming, 3 daughters, Gwenda Joyce of Sonoma, Victoria Addison Rowe of Santa Fe, Phyllis Addison-Foster of San Rafael and six grandchildren. Contributions in her honor may be made to Sonoma Valley Museum of Art. There will be a celebration of her life at the Sonoma Museum Valley Museum of Art on January 27th from 6-8 p.m.