Phyllis B King

Phyllis King, 85, formerly of Sturgis, passed away on Friday, March 25, 2016 at the Woodland Terrace Memory Care Unit in Bridgman. Her loving husband of 65 years, George, was by her side. She was loved by everyone who knew her, most deeply by her husband, children, and grandchildren.  She spent her final days surrounded by the people she loved most. A Celebration of Life Service will take place Monday, April 4, 2016 at 1:00 PM at Starks & Menchinger Chapel, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph with Chaplain Scott Brown officiating.  The family will receive friends prior to the service from 12:00 – 1:00 PM.  In lieu of flowers, those wishing to make a memorial contribution may do so to Hospice at Home or to the First Presbyterian Church of Sturgis, MI. Those wishing to sign Phyllis’ Memory Book online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com.  “To most people I’m nobody, but what matters is being somebody to everybody who’s somebody to me.” – Phyllis King Phyllis B. Stratton was born on January 25, 1931 to the late Philip B. and Dorothy (Volk) Stratton and grew up and lived most of her life in Sturgis, MI. By all accounts, a bright, creative, and beautiful child, she was bitten by the theatre bug at a very early age. She often created and directed plays and skits with her only sister Ruth and other neighborhood friends.  Theatre, art and imagination were an integral part of who she was throughout her life. Phyllis was bitten by another “bug” during her freshman year of high school; she met and instantly fell in love with her “darling” George King, whom she went on to marry on July 30, 1950. Their romance became the stuff of fairytales and movies; married and in love for over 65 years, they were an inspiration to those around them. Education, theatre, church, and community service were of great importance to Phyllis. She studied Liberal Arts at Albion College after high school and later continued her education in theatre and philosophy at Glen Oaks Community College. She also studied religion at Kalamazoo College. Theater was one of her greatest loves. Phyllis and George organized Sturgis Civic Players in 1969 and over the years she had leading roles in more than 20 community theatre productions in Sturgis and Glen Oaks, often performing alongside her husband and children. She was the director of the Sturgis Women’s Club theatre group and the author and director of four one-act plays. Phyllis and George were a dynamic team, happily working as co-directors and co-emcees of the “Miss Sturgis Pageant”, and the Michigan Week Variety Shows. Phyllis was very active in her church home, the First Presbyterian Church in Sturgis. She served as a Sunday school teacher, youth leader, chairperson of peacemaking, and was a Deacon and Elder. Phyllis always believed in the importance of giving back to the community. She was a volunteer driver for the St. Joseph County Welfare Service, a Family Communication Skills Trainer, a board member of the St. Joseph County Substance Abuse Council, Secretary of the St. Joseph County Samaritan Board, Moderator of the Peace Study and Action Group, and Conservation Chairperson of the Sturgis Garden Club. She also served as the Chairman of the Board for the Sturgis Council of the Arts for many years and often volunteered at the Sturgis Guild and Sturgis Hospital.  Phyllis also took great joy in her role as the “Picture Lady”, she would bring a piece of art into the classroom and share its history and significance with the children, many of whom remained in contact with her throughout adulthood. Because of her community involvement and passion for helping others, Phyllis was given the prestigious Sturgis “Citizen of the Year” award in 1987 and was honored by the Governor of Michigan. This was an award so greatly deserved, made even more special by the fact that she was surrounded by family. Phyllis and George moved to St. Joseph in 1995 to spend their retirement years in a beautiful condo overlooking Lake Michigan. It did not take long for them to become active in the community.  Together they performed many skits for clubs and service groups and were active in the Twin City Players.  Phyllis was an original member of the Box Factory for the Arts and hosted many events at the Krasl Art Center where she also took art classes every year.  She was co-master of ceremonies for the Miss St. Joseph pageant and also volunteered at the Heritage Center.  The First Congregational Church became her new church home.  She served on their arts and music committee and appeared in many of their annual talent shows. Most importantly, during her years in St. Joseph, Phyllis enjoyed spending time with her family on the beautiful beaches of Lake Michigan. Many of Phyllis’ accomplishments and activities have been listed above, but her most important accomplishment in life was how much and how well she loved. Her greatest performance was in her role as “Grandma”. She made every moment spent with each grandchild special. Weekend adventures consisted of treasure hunts, putt-putt golf, long walks, and silly games and skits to name a few. At the end of the day Phyllis charmed her grandkids to sleep with her delightful tales of “Silly Hans”, a character straight from her own endless imagination. Phyllis and George also bought a condo in Boyne City on Lake Charlevoix so they would have a vacation home to entertain the grandkids during their childhood years. Summers spent “up north” were some of the best, most memorable times of their lives. During her final years, Phyllis lived at Woodland Terrace as she was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. George was by her side every single day. A true testament to their great love is that she knew and recognized “her darling husband” until the day she passed. A sincere thank you to the Woodland Terrace staff for all the love and care they gave Phyllis during her final years and to hospice for the wonderful care they gave during her final days. Phyllis is survived by the love of her life, George King; her daughters Paula (Paul) Zang and Angela (Russ) Young; her grandchildren Nat Moleski, Katie (Michael) Love, Daniel (Gina) Moleski, Eric Zang, and Anna Zang; her great-grandchildren Tyler Moleski, Audrey Love, and Delaney Love; and by beloved nieces Stephanie (Thomas) Tubbs and Margaret (Sam) Judd. She was predeceased by her sister Ruth (Stratton) McBride and son Philip George King. “Though the curtain has closed and I’ve taken my final bow. Let the audience keep laughing.” – Phyllis King