Phyllis Hoyt

PETERBOROUGH - Phyllis Hoyt, 93, died May 26, 2011, at Rivermead.

She was born in West Somerville, Mass., on Feb. 8, 1918, to William Hayes Hoyt and Mabel (Teele) Hoyt.

She was a graduate of Wellesley High School, Class of 1935, Wellesley, Mass. She received her A.B. degree in history from Russell Sage College, Troy, N.Y., in 1939 and a master's degree from Tufts University in 1940.

From 1940 to 1946, she was on the faculty of Lasell Junior College, Auburndale, Mass., as an instructor in history and as dean from 1944 to 1946. In 1946, she began her tenure at Western College for Women, Oxford, Ohio. For 28 years, she served as a professor of sociology, assistant to the dean, assistant dean, director of student activities, dean of students and vice president of student affairs. In 1990, Western College named its new library, Hoyt Library, in her honor. In 1974, she returned to Russell Sage College as vice president of student affairs until her retirement in 1983.

She volunteered at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester for many years. She was a member of First Church of Jaffrey, a former member of the board of trustees of the United Church of Christ, the Commission on Higher Education of the United Church of Christ in Ohio, the League of Women Voters and many other academic, charitable and Christian organizations.

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IN HER LIFE: Phyllis was an avid reader, loved classical music and the opera, gardening and traveling the world. Dedicated to her family and friends, she enriched their lives with her dignity, honesty, knowledge and love. Phyllis was passionate about women's issues and human rights. Her dedication to humanitarian organizations - Habitat for Humanity, UNICEF, Doctors without Borders, Heifer Project, the Southern Poverty Law Center in Alabama, Planned Parenthood, to name only a few - are representative of her worldly concern, love and respect for all people.

She is survived by her sister-in-law, Barbara Hoyt Hanlon of Londonderry; nieces and nephews: Carol Drew of Denver, Colo., David R. Hoyt of Brewerton, N.Y., Stephen R. Hoyt of Charleston, S.C., Deborah Hoyt of Londonderry and Kimberly Hoyt Gagnon of Derry. She will also be missed by her seven grandnieces and grandnephews and six great-grandnieces and great-grandnephews.

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SERVICES: A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m., Friday, June 10 at First Church in Jaffrey, 14 Laban St., Jaffrey. A reception will immediately follow in the church vestry, followed by burial at Mount Hope Cemetery in West Acton, Mass. A memorial reception will be held at Rivermead at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Western College Alumni Association, WCAA Peabody/Hoyt Scholarship, Patterson Place, Oxford, OH 45056; Russell Sage College, Office of Annual Giving, The Sage Colleges, 92 First St., Troy, NY 12180; First Church of Jaffrey, Women's Society Scholarship Fund.

Jellison Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. For more information, please go to www.jellisonfuneralhome.com.