Phyllis Hardin Walls

Phyllis Hardin Walls, 86, died on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2013. Phyllis was born Feb. 14, 1927, in Greenfield, IN, to J. Alvin and Mabel Hardin. She attended school in Knightstown and also in Sarasota, FL, graduating from Knightstown High School. She attended Earlham College and later earned her B.S. Degree from Indiana University. She was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority. Phyllis’ primary focus throughout life was to create a wonderful, supportive home experience for her husband, John, and their 4 children. She was fiercely loyal to her family. She had many cherished friends, particularly her bridge groups that played together for decades. She was known for playing the piano, serving memorable holiday dinners, and baking pies. She was also a devoted gardener. Phyllis volunteered on a number of community boards and served as president of both MCARC, a forerunner of Noble Industries, and the Goodwill Industries Guild. Following her active years as a mother, Phyllis was a tax preparer for H & R Block Executive Tax Service for 20 years. She looked forward to tax season and enjoyed serving her clients. Phyllis was a longtime active member of First Friends Church. She and John later joined St. Luke’s United Methodist Church. They golfed at Meridian Hills Country Club. John and Phyllis both enjoyed playing board games, particularly Boggle and Scrabble. She and John cherished family occasions, looking forward to each moment together. They were childhood sweethearts in Knightstown and their marriage spanned 65 years. Phyllis was predeceased by her husband John, and grandson William Roudebush, her sisters Dorothy Massey and Eleanor Bye, and brother Clifford Hardin; survived by her four children: Ann Ponce (Phil), Kathryn Shorter (Fred), Elizabeth Root (James), and Timothy Walls (Margaret McLeod); thirteen grandchildren, Dan (Amy) and Anthony (Maggie) Ponce, Maria Berre (Trey), Doug (Shantel), Jill, John, and Steve Roudebush, Tom, and Madeline Root, Emily Anderson(Eric), and Noreen, Liam, and Anya Walls, five step-grandchildren, Fritz (Denise), Ryan, Adam (Michelle), and Jake Shorter, and many great grandchildren. The family would like to express gratitude to Rittenhouse Senior Living, St. Vincent Hospital, and American Village for her care over the past weeks and months Visitation will be at Crown Hill on Thursday, Dec. 26, 2013 from 5-7pm in the Crown Hill Remembrance Hall. The memorial service will be at the Crown Hill Gothic Chapel, at 11:30am on Friday, Dec. 27, 2013 with calling one hour prior to service. Online condolences may be sent at www.crownhill.org.