After attending Wide Hollow grade school, Phyllis attended Highland High School for two years and then transferred to West Valley High School where she graduated in only the second class to graduate from West Valley High School in 1957. After high school Phyllis worked for Ma Bell as a telephone operator. She also worked for a time for the Capitol Theatre as an usher. She also played for the Web-Cats softball team. She also enjoyed sewing.
While in high school, Phyllis’ brother-in-law told Phyllis the only guy in the Navy she could write to was his high school buddy, Dick Cooper. She started writing to him soon after. After a few in person dates and lots of letters later, they married just hours after Dick’s Navy discharge in June 1958.
Their first child came in November 1959. Kevin was quickly followed by Kurt and Kent. Phyllis spent most of the next 24 years going to baseball, basketball games football games countless swimming meets and band performances. Her boys remember fondly the summer when mom sewed the flag girl uniforms for the high school band. Phyllis also was a member of the Sunshine Lions Club and was a regular volunteer at Sportsman’s Days each September.
During the years raising children, Phyllis worked full time at the Naches Hardware store. Phyllis frequently praised Lynn and Ruth Fisher as wonderful people. She also served one year as PTA President and was chairperson for the band’s float committee for several years.
Phyllis lived to support and encourage her three boys. Her proudest family moments were watching Kevin play in the UW marching band, seeing Kurt serve as ASB Vice President and receiving football honors and watching Kent playing baseball in the state All-Star game. She also said she was blessed by all of them choosing wonderful women to marry and giving her 11 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
After living in Naches for almost 40 years, Phyllis and Dick bought her parent’s apple orchard and they moved to West Valley area, next door to her brother who also owned an orchard. She lived at that home until her passing.
After leaving the hardware store, Phyllis worked at Mervin’s in the Yakima Mall for several years. She then worked for her sister-in-law, Sharon Vance at Boehm’s Candy for many years.
After her children were grown, Phyllis began organizing estate sales in her spare time with her good friend Faye Wilson. She continued this for several decades. She was finally talked into retiring from estate sales after she turned 80 years old. She was 81 when she finished her last sale.
In her final years, her husband Dick was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. Phyllis spent several years serving as Dick’s primary care-giver.
Phyllis was preceded in death by her parents, Lowell Menyard and Lavesta Kathleen Vance. She is survived by her sister Mary (Dick) Hogsett of Yakima, WA, brother Richard (Sharon) Vance of Yakima, WA; husband of 63 years Dick Cooper of Yakima, WA, sons Kevin (Paula) Cooper of Yakima, WA, Kurt (Patty) of Bremerton, WA and Kent (Bobbi) Cooper of Yakima, WA, 11 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, cousins, nieces, nephews, and countless friends.
A memorial service and celebration of life are planned for Saturday July 24, 2021 at the Peace of Christ Church of Naches at 11 AM. A private family interment at the Naches Cemetery will follow at a later date. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared and www.keithandkeith.com.
Memorials may be made to the Peace of Christ Church of Naches.
