Phyllis Ann Hackett, born Phyllis Ann Carnago on July 16, 1935, in Herrin, Illinois, peacefully entered into eternal life on July 20, 2024, surrounded by and in the loving care of her family and caregivers at the age of 89 in Longmont, CO.
Growing up in Herrin, Illinois, Phyllis enjoyed playing softball, biking, swimming, tennis, and volleyball. In high school, she was very active in drama, the pep club, and volunteering with the American Junior Red Cross. She was a member of the National Honor Society and graduated from Herrin High School in 1953. She obtained a nursing certificate from the DePaul Hospital School of Nursing (St. Louis) in 1956, went on to work as a staff nurse at the VA hospital there, and later became the Assistant Director of Nursing Services.
Phyllis married her one and only husband, Lawrence (“Larry”) Hackett, on May 16, 1964, and they had three children. She was a trooper throughout her marriage as Larry took in every kind of stray, injured animal, and Phyllis, with the kids’ “help,” nursed them all back to health. In April of 1974, “Larry & Phyl” moved from St. Charles, MO, to Glenwood Springs, CO, with their three young children and purchased the Coast-to-Coast hardware store at 8th & Grand Avenue, which they managed together until 1979.
After selling the store, Phyllis worked as an R.N. at Valley View Hospital and obtained her Bachelor of Nursing degree from St. Joseph’s College of Maine while working full-time. Later in her career, she transitioned from being a floor nurse to the medical records department and retired from Valley View in 1997 but continued to volunteer at the hospital gift shop well after retirement. She later moved to Longmont and lived in a Balfour community where she met many new friends and spent her last days. Before and after retirement, Phyllis enjoyed traveling with Larry, her children, and grandkids to take in the New England fall foliage, going on a Disney cruise, an Alaskan cruise, and trips to London, France, and Puerto Rico. She enjoyed the simple pleasures as well, going on country and mountain drives to take in the beauty of Colorado’s mountains and backcountry.
Phyllis was always a dedicated wife and mother, and she became a dear friend to anyone who spent time with her. Her positive attitude, smile, sweet voice, and positive energy were immediately noticed by everyone she came in contact with. Phyllis stayed true to her Catholic faith as a long-time member of St. Stephen’s Catholic Church in Glenwood Springs and later at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Longmont, receiving her last rites on July 18, 2024, at Balfour Senior Living in Longmont. As part of her final wishes, she passed away in the same bed she was born in 89 years earlier.
Phyllis is survived by her son, Charles (Boston, MA), and daughters Susan McBride (Fairhope, AL) and Julie Hackett-Coleman and Will Coleman (Longmont, CO); her grandchildren Rory McBride (Minneapolis, MN), Audrey and Nathaniel Hackett (Boston, MA), and Ryan, Sarah, and Quinn Coleman (CO). She was preceded in death by her husband Larry, mother Josephine (“Josie”), her father Archie, and her younger brother Jim of Englefeld, Saskatchewan, Canada
A funeral Mass will be held on Tuesday, August 6, 10 am (mountain time) at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 323 COLLYER STREET, LONGMONT, CO 80501. The family invites you to attend a live stream of the service by going to this link: https://youtube.com/live/uSyaCzdXvT8?feature=share. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to St. Jude's Children's Hospital or to the charity that touches your heart.
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