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Obituary for Phyllis Mae Lewis
Phyllis Lewis, 87, of Broomfield, CO, passed away on Tuesday, February 23, 2016, after a long and valiantly fought battle with cancer. She was the beloved wife of the late Lowell L. Lewis, mother of Kim (Nancy) Lewis, Karla King, Karen (Mike) Allen; loving grandmother to Robyn Chartier, Leah (Dave) Stout, Aaron (Stephanie) Zimmerman, Rebecca Stokes, Cori (Steve) Ryzdon, Nicole (Josh) Orfanakis, and Tyler Allen; proud great-grandmother to Jarred Wilbourn, Sara Chartier, Sebastian Vervoort, Zachary, Karter, Emmrey and Asher Zimmerman, Kelly and Anthony Stout, Olivia Orfanakis and Ella Jo Allen; she also leaves numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and beloved friends. She is preceded in death by her husband, Lowell, parents, Ruth and Kenneth Samuels, brother, Neil Samuels and grandson, Ian Drahnak.
Born in Polk, Nebraska in 1928, Phyllis attended Kearney Teachers College. She met Lowell on a blind date and they later married in 1950. They moved to Colorado and started their family. Phyllis substitute taught for District 50, Adams County Schools, for 9 years. She then pursued her passion for teaching kindergarten in a private Christian setting at the Village Baptist Church in Northglenn, CO until 1974, when she opened her own pre-school/daycare center in Broomfield CO, renting space at a dance studio. Around 1976, she and Lowell purchased a house and converted it into a Pre-school/Kindergarten and Day Care Center and named it Happy Hill Children’s Center. She employed both daughters at the center for several years and her four eldest grandchildren attended preschool at Nana’s school, one who was even lucky enough to have Nana as her Kindergarten teacher. Known to many parents and former students as “Miss Phyllis” she would continually see and recognize them around the Broomfield area. Many of the elementary schools around the Broomfield area could always tell the difference when a child had attended Happy Hill, because they were so well prepared to enter the public school system. She sold the business and retired around 1985 to pursue traveling with Lowell and spending time with her grandchildren, whom she loved dearly. She was deeply devoted to her family and very proud of all of their accomplishments. She felt truly blessed to welcome all 11 of her great grandchildren and was thrilled by the news of the 12th one being born this Spring.
She continued to live in the Broomfield area until her death. She volunteered for many years at the Broomfield Senior Center where she organized and chaperoned many bus trips to the Blackhawk/Central City Casinos or as she regularly referred to “The Hill”.
She was a very proud 69 year member of Eastern Star which she joined when she was 18 years old. Other clubs she was a member of include PEO (Philanthropic Education Organization) and Red Hats Club.
Donations in her name can be made to Denver Hospice, University of Colorado Lung Cancer Research, and The Eastern Star Retirement Home.
