Obituary: Phyllis King Craig

The following obituary was submitted by the family:

Phyllis King Craig died peacefully Sunday after a brief illness. She was 97.

One of four children, Phyllis was born Sept. 13, 1915 in Minneapolis to Alfred Benjamin King and Florice Payne.

Following graduation from New Haven High School, she attended Wheaton College in Massachusetts for two years and the Katherine Gibbs Secretarial School in Boston for one year. Phyllis then worked in the office of The Alfred B. King Company in North Haven, Conn. until her marriage to John Henry Craig at the home of her parents on Sept. 2, 1939 in Hamden, Conn.

A devoted wife and mother, Phyllis was committed to raising her children. She enjoyed reading and was an ardent gardener, filling her home with her own roses, wild flowers and orchids. Also an expert at needlepoint, cross-stitching and crewelwork, she was proficient at knitting and weaving on her own loom. Phyllis took great joy in making gifts for her beloved family, especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Phyllis was active in the New Haven community with the Wives of Rotarians, the Woodbridge Congregational Church and the Whitney Center. For the past nine years, she lived in Seekonk with her daughter Florice Craig-Saad.

Phyllis was preceded in death by her husband John in 2001 and siblings Florice, John and Mary. She is survived by her children Melissa Parham, John Craig, James Craig, Laurie Benton and Florice Craig. Eleven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren also survive her.

Phyllis' memorial service will take place Saturday (Dec. 29) at 1 p.m. at the Newman Congregational Church  in Rumford, R.I. Graveside services will take place in New Jersey at a later date.

Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to the National Parkinson Foundation, www.parkinson.org .