Phyllis Utt Lester

1944 - 2021

LESTER, Mrs. Phyllis Utt, 76, of Tampa, Fla., formerly of Powhatan, Va., passed away peacefully in the early hour of Easter morning, April 4, 2021. Phyllis's spirit is carried on by her husband of 54 years, Tom Lester; her children, Barri Lester (Courtney Hardin), Kerry Paone (Dan Paone); three grandchildren, Isla, Luke and Effy Paone; three brothers, Doug Utt (Georgia Utt), Edwin Utt (Karen Utt) and Jesse Utt (Linda Utt); as well as a host of nieces, nephews and friends.

Phyllis touched down and began a life of adventure on December 1, 1944, in Mt. Airy, N.C., where she spent her first six years enjoying the scenic beauty and playground that the mountains in southwest Virginia offered. Her family moved to Powhatan, Va., in 1951, where she grew up and graduated from Powhatan High School in 1963. During this time, Phyllis met Tom Lester, also of Powhatan, dated and fell in love with him as she continued her studies at Longwood College. In 1966, Phyllis and Tom married and in 1967, Phyllis graduated with her bachelor's degree in Business Education. She began teaching high school business classes soon thereafter for approximately five years. Though her teaching career spanned nearly two decades, Phyllis considered motherhood her primary calling. In 1971, she took a sabbatical from teaching to actively raise and participate in the lives of her daughters, Barri and Kerry. Devoted to creating and providing experiences for them, Phyllis could often be seen nearly every day of the week in her full-sized station wagon tirelessly ubering her daughters all over Powhatan, Richmond and beyond to support them in various lessons and activities. She was an active room mother and cheerleader for her daughters and for so many children beyond her own. In 1986, Phyllis returned to the classroom to teach keyboarding at Powhatan High School for quite a few more years, where many students experienced her compassion, kindness and love. She later retired in 1999.

In addition to her devotion to teaching and motherhood, Phyllis enjoyed gardening, where the mountain wildflowers of her youth inspired her to plant daffodils, irises, hydrangeas and petunias to color the yard each spring. Phyllis sought refuge in God, in the promise of Jesus Christ and actively participated in Bible study at various churches. Music enriched her life both as an organist for different churches as well as the various music performances she attended. Filled with the spirit of adventure, Phyllis traveled all over the United States and Europe with family and friends. In her travels, whether it was abroad or to the local pharmacy, Phyllis was a passionate and avid collector - she never went into a gift shop, state fair or arts and crafts show that she didn't find a "must have" for someone in her life. In 2014, Phyllis and Tom packed all the collectibles, antiques and memorabilia from their life and moved to Tampa, Florida so that they could enjoy and actively participate in the lives of their grandchildren, Isla, Luke and Effy. Whether it was to actively grow their toy collection or to be a part of their lives, Phyllis especially cherished spending time with her grandchildren and being a steadfast presence in their lives. While Phyllis was diagnosed in January 2020 with ALS/Lou Gehrig's disease and experienced various shifts in her life as a result, her spirit remained true and enduring as a loving wife, an enthusiastic and supportive mother, a doting grandmother and a devoted friend.

A Celebration of Life ceremony will take place in the future in Powhatan, Va.