Phyllis K. Speidel

Phyllis Katherine Speidel, 84, a resident of Newtown for the past 37 years, died at home May 21, following an extended illness.

She is survived by her husband, Charles Speidel; three daughters, Gay Alvarez of Sewanee, Tenn., Diane Benton of  Newtown and Killington, Vt., Corrine Speidel of Dillingham, Alas.; a son, Christopher Speidel of Durham, N.C.; 11 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by a fourth daughter, Catherine Wasson of Huntington Beach, Calif., in 1998.

Phyllis was born in Franklin, Penn., on September 25, 1918, a daughter of the late Joseph and Dorothy (Thomas) Stone. She was reared in Franklin and graduated from Franklin High School in 1936.

In 1983 Phyllis married Thomas Robert Benton, an industrial engineer with the Armstrong Rubber Company, who died in March of 1960 of complications following open-heart surgery.

Over the next 22 years, she and her family lived in Jeanette, Penn.; Natchez, Miss.; Des Moines, Iowa; Guilford and North Haven. She graduated from Southern Connecticut State College in 1961 and began teaching the seventh and eighth grades at Dodd Junior High School in Cheshire.

On November 26, 1960, she and Charles Speidel were married in St Rita Church in Hamden.

Phyllis with her new family moved to Newtown in 1966 where she began teaching at Middle Gate Elementary School from which she retired in 1984.

Phyllis treasured the friendships made while living in Newtown, especially her Ridgewood golfing and bowling companions. In over 30 years she never had a hole-in-one nor bowled a perfect game; however, she did request that her highest bowling score of 189 be mentioned.

Phyllis’s family extends its sincere appreciation to the many who treated and cared for her: Dr Martin Abrams and his wonderful staff at the Praxair Cancer Center; the Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Association; Danbury Hospital paramedics; Danbury Hospital Emergency Room doctors, Dr Yuvienco and Dr Walshak who saved her life on January 10; the personnel of the 11th floor oncology group, especially Cindy Allen; and Bethel Health Care, especially Eileen Carmody.

In addition the family thanks Linda McCormick of Patient Care Inc; Karen Mulvihill; and the caregivers of Regional Hospice of Western Connecticut for their extraordinary service during Phyllis’s last two months.

Funeral services were held May 28 at the First Congregational Church of Danbury, West Street.

The Green Funeral Home, 57 Main Street, Danbury, was in charge of arrangements. Contributions may be made in memory of Phyllis Speidel to Regional Hospice of Western Connecticut, 405 Main Street, Danbury, CT 06810 or Praxair Cancer Center at Danbury Hospital.

 The Newtown Bee             May 30, 2003