Phyllis Rose Leach died Saturday with her family by her side. She was 89. The cause of death was Alzheimer’s disease.
Phyllis was born May 23, 1931, in Appleton, Wis., to Frank and Tharcilla (Borneman) Liethen. She had one older brother, Frank, who she nicknamed “Sonny,” two younger brothers, Bill and Jack, and one younger sister, Mary Meier.
She was a committed nurse at Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh. The hospital was an important part of her life: After her shifts, Phyllis would walk down the street to Charlie’s Glass Bar for a hamburger. It was there she met David C. Leach, who she married on August 6, 1955. They had two sons, Frederick and David.
Helping others was Phyllis’s calling. She continued to serve Mercy Medical Center as a board member and in 1980 received the nursing school’s “Nurse of the Year” award. She also was president and board member for the Visiting Nurse Association and sat on the board of visitors for the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh School of Nursing. As part of that appointment, Phyllis was proud to select and present the school’s Nightingale Award to the honored nurses.
Phyllis was active in her community, and she received many awards for her contributions. She planned picnics for St. Peter’s Church, chaired the Lourdes auction, and volunteered with Relay for Life. She always said yes to requests for her time or a donation, large or small.
Phyllis’s philanthropy never waned, even after her breast cancer diagnosis in 1993. Instead, she devoted energy to women around the world who shared her disease. Phyllis traveled to Vietnam with the International Breast Cancer Research Foundation and her oncologist, Dr. Richard Love, several times. On these trips, she would teach recovery exercises and show the women there that there is life and hope after a diagnosis.
She was recognized for her humanitarian work and support of breast cancer research with an honorary doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. It was one of her proudest moments in her lifetime of aid.
Phyllis valued learning and traveling, especially after her husband’s death from cancer in 1992. She never said no to an adventure, including mushing sled dogs in Alaska, whitewater rafting down the Colorado River, taking cooking classes in Italy and France, a safari in Africa with her son, and a voyage on a Russian ice cutter.
Phyllis was also known for her love of entertaining. Her events were always memorable, whether it was an attic tea party for her granddaughters or a sweeping Fourth of July picnic for the entire block. Always in attendance were her two loyal golden retrievers, who she loved dearly.
She not only was an extraordinary hostess, but also an enthusiastic guest. At the EAA’s Christmas in the Air party, she’d give away dozens and dozens of cookies. It didn’t take her long to become known as “the Cookie Lady” at the yearly event.
Phyllis is survived by her sons, Frederick and David; sister Mary; daughters-in-law Teresa Leach and Susan Leach; brother-in-law Dave Meier; sisters-in-law Myrna Liethen and Bonnie Liethen; granddaughters Kirstin Siegler (Jon Siegler), Holly Leach (Eric Zwick), and Kelsey Miller (Mason Miller); great-grandchildren Scarlett Miller, Emmy Siegler, and Duke Miller; and many nieces and nephews.
A private funeral will be held. Keeping with her spirit as a hostess, a public celebration of life will be held at a later date.
Memorials have been established at The Women’s Fund at the Oshkosh Community Foundation and the Evergreen Foundation Inc.
The family offers a special thank you to the staff at Evergreen Retirement Community and Generations Home Care and Hospice, who helped Phyllis through the final stage of her life. We’ll never forget the comfort and kindness you brought both Phyllis and our family.
