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Obituary for Mary Ann Phillips
A servant’s heart, stilled. On March 15, 2022, Mary Ann Phillips, 80, swept triumphantly from this guilty sod to Glory, meeting her Savior at the gates of her eternal repose. The only child of William Dudley and Mary Virginia (Fankhauser) Hyland, she was born on December 21, 1941 and nurtured in the gentle hills and “hollers” of western West Virginia, surrounded by her mother’s family enclave of grandparents, several aunts and uncles and cousins as well as a cloud of childhood friends. Her mother and grandfather were both teachers and she followed them into the same vocation. She started her life-long love of piano and organ at age 4, and at age 7 studied organ with Miss Derby, a Broadway musician. She graduated from Parkersburg (WV) High School in 1959 and attended Ohio University (Athens, OH) and Marietta College (Marietta, OH) until her marriage to Dick on December 16, 1961. An Air Force and IBM wife, she gracefully managed the several moves the young family accomplished. In 1978 she went back to college at Belhaven University to finish work on her teacher’s degree. She taught English, speech and drama at Canton Academy and (after yet another IBM move) in both Fulton County (GA) and Roswell (GA) City schools. She was a child of God, a follower of Christ Jesus, a wife, mother, educator and musician. Of her, her children said: (Suzanne) “Mama was an excellent teacher for many years, but the most important lesson she shared with us kids growing up was, ‘If you see someone on the outside, bring them in.’ I have found so many good friends that way.”; (Rich) “I remember her as very welcoming and fiercely protective of her family and those that she brought into the fold. That included in many cases her students, but also stray souls who became part of the family circle for weeks, months, or longer. I also think of her as instilling a lifelong love of learning for us kids. After her courageous decision to go back to school in her late 30s at Belhaven to complete her degree and become a teacher, she imparted that love of learning to her students.”; (Matthew) “When I was young Grandma Hyland would play her favorite song of the Christmas season on Christmas Eve, Ave Maria. When Grandma could no longer play because of her arthritis, Mom took over playing the organ so her Mom could still have Ave Maria on Christmas Eve. It was their favorite and mine as well. I think of them whenever I hear it.” She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Dick (Richard W.) of Brandon, a daughter, Suzanne (Russ Smith) of Jackson, and two sons, Rich (Andrea May) of Potomac Falls, VA and Matthew (Lynda Doss) of Cumming, GA. Also surviving her are four grandchildren: Rachel Crump, Patrick Crump (Casey) and Phillip Crump (Skylar), all currently residing in Savannah, GA and Jack Phillips of Potomac Falls, VA. She had just enjoyed meeting her two great-grand daughters, Perrin (Phillip & Skylar) Crump and Ellie (Patrick & Casey) Crump at a Thanksgiving 2021 family gathering. “Won’t you let me be your servant, let me be as Christ to you, Pray that I might have the grace to let you be my servant, too.” She did. The family requests that you please make memorials to St. Peters by-the-Lake Episcopal Church (www.stpetebtl.org) memorial fund, or to the American Heart Association (www.heart.org) where you will also find the symptoms of a woman’s heart attack (no, it wasn’t just a “stomach bug” and no, it wasn’t just a “normal” ache in the neck and above the shoulder blades). It’s a heart attack, lady, call 9-1-1! I would like to thank Chief Scott Berry and members of the Reservoir Fire Department, Deputy Sheriff Lee Nordan and members of the RCSO, EMTs from Pafford EMS, and all the rest of the cloud of first responders who came to help and stuck around to make sure an old man didn’t follow his wife that morning.
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