Phyllis A. Colegrove passed away peacefully on Monday evening, January 12, 2015, at Marion Manor Nursing Home at the age of 85. She was born on July 17, 1929 in Marion, Ohio to Clarence F. and Rosa E. Gorenflo.
Phyllis was a graduate of Harding High School. She worked for a few years at the Woolworth’s Company and later in life was an assistant pre-school teacher at Epworth Preschool. She touched many young children’s lives before retiring from Epworth in 2011, after fifteen years of service.
Phyllis was first married to Richard Bender who passed away in 1953, at the age of twenty-five. She married William “Bill” Colegrove in 1963, and they were married for thirty-two years before his passing in 1994. They shared wonderful years both in Marion and Catawba Island, Port Clinton.
Phyllis enjoyed quilting, crafts and working outside. She will always be remembered for her beautiful flowers at her home on South Prospect Street. She spent many hours in her kitchen where she loved baking cookies and making fudge, which she enjoyed sharing with others. Phyllis was a past member of the Catawba Island Garden Club and a volunteer at the Marion County Fair. As a member of Epworth United Methodist Church she served on several committees and previously was a member of the choir.
Phyllis will be missed by two children: Stephen (Glenna) Bender, Ft. Myers, Florida, and Candy (Dan) Tripp, Marion; six grandchildren: Sandy (Joel) Richards, Kim (Joe) Robinson, Laurie (Jeff) Pfeiffer, Bryan Bender, Beth (Charles) Brittingham, and Daniel (Christy) Tripp; nine great-grandchildren; a brother, Donald “Jack” Gorenflo; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Including her parents and husbands, she was preceded in death by her sister, Erma Williams; and brothers: John “Franklin” Gorenflo and Robert Gorenflo. Erma passed away only hours before Phyllis.
Funeral services honoring her life will be at 2 pm on Friday, January 16, at Epworth United Methodist Church (address below). Burial will follow in Marion Cemetery. Calling hours will be observed one hour prior to the service.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Epworth Preschool, 249 E. Center St., Marion, OH 43302.
The family would like to extend a heartfelt “thank you” to the staff at Marion Manor Nursing Home for her excellent care, and to the many friends who visited her in the last couple of years.
Denzer-Farison-Hottinger & Snyder Funeral Home is honored to have been chosen to serve Phyllis’ family and your condolences may be expressed to them by visiting www.SnyderFuneralHomes.com.
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