Phyllis Wilcox, 75, of Baker City died March 18, 2008, from St. Elizabeth Hospital.
Her memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Baker City Christian Church, 675 Highway 7. There will be a reception afterward at the church.
Phyllis was born on June 15, 1932, at her home in Baker City to Carl and Crystal Stonder Cook. She later married and had a son, Carl.
After her divorce, she attended Eastern Oregon College in La Grande (now Eastern Oregon University) where she earned a teaching degree. She was hired to teach at Richland Elementary School in the late 1950s and 1960s.
She married Richard W. Wilcox in 1962 and they moved back to Baker City where he started his own office machine business. Phyllis helped him in the office and raised a family.
In 1979, the family moved to North Bend/Coos Bay where they lived for about 20 years. Phyllis used her love for children and education to start a day-care service in her home. She was also active in her church and with Women’s Aglow, which she served as the area board treasurer.
She suffered a stroke in 1998, followed by a series of more strokes and illnesses, which ultimately left her paralyzed. The Wilcoxes returned to Baker City in early 2000 where Richard cared for Phyllis and his mother, Hazel, for as long as he could. Later, he moved them to the St. Elizabeth Care Center.
Phyllis was a loving wife and mother who enjoyed every moment with her family and friends. It was her love for the Lord and family that kept her strong in spirit and gave her true joy even in the most dire circumstances, her family said.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard; a son, Carl; her parents, Carl and Crystal Cook; her mother-in-law, Hazel; and her brother, George Cook.
Survivors include her daughter, Tamala Smith of Bend; son, Tim Wilcox, and his wife, Valerie, of La Grande; two sisters, Carleen Griffith and Betty Allen, both of Baker City; sister-in-law, Gail Cook of Portland; seven grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to Baker City Christian Church, through Gray’s West & Co., 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR 97814.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, March 20, 2008
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor