Phyllis Anne Rickey Wecht, devoted wife, mother, and grandmother, was born July 26, 1927, in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, to Norman Mitchell Rickey and Vivian Arnold Rickey. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in psychology, summa cum laude, from Denison University. Phyllis met her husband, David Kindler Wecht, at a mixer at Lakewood Methodist Church, where they were married on October 20, 1951, and spent almost 64 wonderful years together.
Phyllis and Dave were loving parents to their two daughters, Wendy and Linda. They were supporters of many school and extracurricular activities in Bay Village, Ohio; Cullman, Alabama; and West Simsbury, Connecticut. They opened their home to many friends, including an AFS exchange student from Spain. They were members of the First United Methodist Church in Cullman, Alabama, and North Raleigh United Methodist Church in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Phyllis loved animals and instilled this love in her daughters at an early age by taking them to volunteer at the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center in Bay Village, Ohio. She also had a flair for flower arranging, winning ribbons in many exhibitions in Alabama, Connecticut, and South Carolina. Her love of gardening was evident, as she was a founding member of the Keowee Key Garden Club in Salem, South Carolina. She spent many hours planting flowers and shrubs to beautify Keowee Key. She sewed prom dresses for her daughters and clothing for her grandchildren. In Cullman, Alabama, Phyllis worked as a Welcome Wagon Representative and had a dog grooming business in her home, and in Avon, Connecticut, she worked for Kenney, Webber & Lowell Insurance Company.
Phyllis passed away in Raleigh, North Carolina, on July 23, 2018, three days before her 91st birthday. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, David Wecht; her sister, Arline Rickey Bliss, and son-in-law, Philip Turner Harding. She is survived by daughters Wendy Wecht Harding, Linda Wecht Tesh (James Michael); grandchildren Melissa Harding Behne (Donny); John David Harding (Clayton Ronsiek); Jennifer Anne Tesh Murphy (Brian); and Courtney Lynne Tesh; great grandson Caleb Philip Paul Behne; and many beloved nieces and nephews.
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