Pauline Marie Phillips

Pauline Marie Phillips (née Preston) passed peacefully from this life in her own home on Thursday, May 28, 2020, in Mason, Michigan, surrounded by her immediate family. She was born September 9, 1937, to Paul and Barbara (Sandula) Preston in Durand, MI. Pauline was fiercely intelligent, determined and creative, with a great appreciation for art and music. She began working at a young age at her father’s general store and soda fountain, Paul’s Sweet Shop, a community hub in Durand. Pauline was a natural multitasker, handling the register and sales and dealing with customers, while simultaneously making banana splits, sundaes and sodas. She excelled in high school with many friends. After graduation, Pauline applied as a secretary at Simplicity in Durand and thrived there. When her parents moved to Lansing, she accepted an executive secretary position at Wyeth Laboratories in Mason. There, she met her future husband, best friend and great love of 57 years, Donald Roy Phillips.

Pauline enjoyed her work immensely, but left Wyeth to dedicate her life to family. Pauline and Don raised their two daughters, Christine and Kathleen, in Mason. She loved to travel, and took many trips with both Donald and her family. She was well known for her laughter, quick wit, eye for beauty and elegance, ability to interact with people from all walks of life, and her exceptional cooking of traditional Hungarian and Italian dishes. She played the clarinet, as well as some accordion, and loved gardening and sewing. To say she could dance was an absolute understatement; she was always one of the first to grab a partner for the polka at any gathering, and regularly attended the Sant’ Ippolito Festival at Bunker Hill with her Italian relatives. She cherished her grandparents, and loved to spend time with them at their gardens and beautiful farms. She always cared for others, and was the primary caregiver for both her beloved mother and mother-in-law, Dorothea Phillips, even while raising her second daughter. Pauline was preceded in death by her parents, Barbara and Paul Preston.

She lives vibrantly forever in the hearts of many, especially: her husband, Donald Roy Phillips; her daughters, Christine Marie Phillips and Kathleen “Katie” Marie Phillips [John Takis]; her brothers, Carl William “Bill” [Ferne] Preston and Richard Lee [Nancy] Preston; numerous beloved cousins, nieces and nephews; and her dear Miniature Schnauzer, Gigi.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, June 4, 2020 from 5pm until 7pm at Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes, Mason Chapel, 621 S. Jefferson St. in Mason. A private interment will be held at Maple Grove Cemetery in Mason.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her honor to the Capital Area Humane Society or the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. Sympathy cards and condolence messages by mail are also welcomed, and can be sent to the funeral home for the family. Online condolences may be expressed at www.grbdmason.com