Phyllis Hitchcock
- Published: July 16, 2009
Phyllis Hitchcock died on July 11 at Friends Care Center of Yellow Springs. She was 87.
Phyllis was born in Shreve, Ohio, to Howard and Lena Leiner on Jan. 24, 1922. She grew up in the adjacent village of Millersburg.
Phyllis studied psychology and home economics at Miami University. After college, she was employed by the Chicago Bureau of Tourism, and later as a social worker. She married Bob on Dec. 1, 1943, shortly before his service with the Navy in the South Pacific during World War II. Bob’s career at Frigidaire later took the family to numerous U.S. destinations, including Chicago, Kansas City, Hudson, Ohio, and Dayton.
Phyllis made a career of her marriage, children and grandchildren. She was an exceptional wife, mother and grandmother. In part, she achieved that in keeping with the traditional roles of her generation. She was a fabulous caretaker, cook, seamstress, gardener, hostess and housekeeper. She was also a very intelligent, open-minded woman who never stopped pursuing her interest in politics, literature and world affairs.
She will be remembered as the most wonderful mom and grandma ever, having instilled in her children both an obligation to tradition and order as well as a sense of adventure and freedom, and the value of both in moderation. She was a committed progressive who had fond memories of turning cartwheels for joy when Roosevelt won the election of 1932 and who never wavered in her support of the good cause.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Ruth Leiner; and her beloved husband, Robert Russell Hitchcock.
She is survived by her children and their partners, Michael and Kathryn Hitchcock of Yellow Springs, Bradley and Deborah Hitchcock of Fairborn, Carol and Todd Grundberg of Dublin, Ohio and James and Janelle Hitchcock of Oak Hill, Ohio; her grandchildren, Jessica and Michael Bily, Zachary Hitchcock, Tyler Hitchcock, Molly Hitchcock, Nicholas Grundberg, Eric Grundberg, Amanda Hitchcock, Emily Hitchcock, Benjamin Hitchcock and Jacob Hitchcock; step-grandchildren, Brian and Pamela Layh, Ellery and Sarah Clark, and Meika and Donald Robinson; and step-great grandchildren, Reese and Ashton Layh and Anya Robinson.
Phyllis donated her body to the Boonshoft School of Medicine and requested that no services be held. The family requests that donations in lieu of flowers be made to either the American Diabetes Association, Friends Care Center or the Greene County Democratic Party.
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