Phyllis Virginia Conners, our beloved wife, mom, grandma, and great grandma, passed peacefully in her sleep last Wednesday, February 21, holding hands with Bud, her beloved husband of 67 years. She lived to the grand old age of 87, but for her family and friends it wasn’t long enough.

Phyllis came into this world like a star on January 1, 1931, and made the news as the first baby born in the new year in Long Beach, California. Her parents, Pluma and Philip Hattery proudly named her Phyllis Virginia, and she was the light in their lives as their only child. She grew and blossomed in Long Beach and was a graduate of Wilson High School where she made many close friends.

She attended UC Berkeley with her best friend, Gretchen, and she caught the eye of a young Bud Conners at a fraternity party. He knew from the minute he saw her that he was going to marry the striking beauty coming down the grand staircase. They were inseparable from that moment on and married August 12, 1950, and their great love story began.

Phyllis and Bud settled in the San Fernando Valley and had three boys, Philip, Stephen (passed in childhood), and Donald. They lived a wonderful life together and had many adventures including many boating trips (even a Lake Powell trip that included rattlesnakes and scorpions), traveling around the world, snow skiing trips with friends and family, and countless fun times with their “Elbows” group. Phyllis loved her role as wife and mother and filled her days as homemaker extraordinaire! She was devoted to her two boys and supported them in all their endeavors. Phyllis was an excellent seamstress, reader, bridge player, and cook (her famous Taglini recipe was a family favorite), and she was also a wiz at the LA Times crossword puzzles and usually mastered them all. Volunteer work was also very important to her and she was a member of the Northridge Guild of Children’s Hospital for many years. The years went by quickly and soon she became the most amazing mom-in-law to Leslie and Heidi, and when grandchildren arrived she was a natural! She was devoted to each and every one of them, Daniel, Kevin, Melinda, Jennifer and Kelly, and as great grandchildren arrived her heart grew even larger and she enveloped Mason, Wyatt, Hudson, Oliver, and Emma with a love greater than can be imagined (even though the little ones were somewhat loud at times). She will always be remembered as selfless, kind, and soft-hearted.

She is survived by her husband Bud, sons Phil and Don, daughters in law Leslie and Heidi, her 5 grandchildren, her 5 great-grandchildren, countless friends and family, and her wonderful caregivers, Buena, Maria, and Chicky. We will miss her incredibly but we are so fortunate that she gave us so much to remember.

“On the day that she was born the angels got together and decided to create a dream come true, so they sprinkled moondust in her hair of gold and starlight in her eyes of blue.”

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