MOYER, Phillis

MOYER, Phyllis E.

"Move along. Nothing to see here," or, as she asked in her last days, "Don't you all have better things to do than sit here and stare at me?"

Actually, no. For family and friends from all over the

country there was no other place they'd rather be than to bask in the love and warmth of the family matriarch and force of nature that was Phyllis Eileen Moyer, and to relive and reminisce about the best moments of an incredible life well-lived. Phyllis died peacefully at home on September 7, 2021, at the age of 93. She was born July 28, 1928, in Germantown, Ohio, to parents Dan and

Virginia Anslinger. On her mother's side, she was direct descendant of John George Kern, one of the original founders of Germantown in 1804. On her father's side, her grandmother and great-grandfather were German immigrants. Two years after graduating from Germantown High School in 1946,

Phyllis married Don Moyer, settled down in their hometown, and commenced a partnership that would last 65 yrs. until

Don's death at age 91 in 2013. They raised three kids, served a stint as Mayor and First Lady of Germantown, continually served their church, and they made their Moyer home the hub of family-wide gatherings and activities…from slot-car races, to pool and tennis tournaments, to the annual extended

family Thanksgiving dinner, where Phyllis's legendarily lumpy mashed potatoes never disappointed. In 1995, Phyllis and Don moved to Kettering, after designing and helping to build the garage apartment on the property of their daughter and

son-in-law, Nancy and Ron. This would be their forever home, where they could travel unencumbered, enjoy all their grandchildren, and to unwind on their deck reading and watching the birds. While supporting Don's business as his #1

bookkeeper, Phyllis dreamed of traveling. Before the internet, google and GPS ever existed, she researched and planned trips every year. Those dreams did come true, traveling from the Arctic Circle to the South Pacific Islands, from Scandinavia to Australia, and from China to India. Their adventures included flying to Mt. Everest by small plane, landing on New Zealand's Franz Joseph Glacier, and a forced quarantine in a New Delhi hotel when PM Indira Ghandi was assassinated. And all of this with one carry-on bag each, some maps and guidebooks. Closer to home, they visited each of our 50 states, Mexico, and all but 2 Canadian provinces. Driving their van camper, towing their small fishing boat, they and their beloved black lab Tassy, spent entire summers fishing for pike and walleye in northern Canada. While boating the McKenzie River wilderness, they found their way back to base camp by having marked large rocks to guide them. Then in January, they would escape to their beloved Edisto Island, SC, camping by the sea for several months, making more lifelong friends each year. Though Phyllis was always quick with a "Bushwa!" in

reality she was quite a big softy with a giant heart. Her greatest gift was simply being a friend; available to always help, to listen, to advise, to be present. Our sorrow at her loss will, surely in time, be tempered by our joy in having known her. Phyllis was preceded in death by her brother, Daniel A.

Anslinger, Jr. She is survived by her 3 children, Sally Ann

Bishop (Rick), Donald Jeffrey Moyer (Lilia), and Nancy Ellen Solada (Ron). She leaves 10 grandchildren: Karl Vanderbeek (Rhonda), Jon Vanderbeek (Sarah); Jennifer (Moyer) Leopold (Eric), Allyson Moyer, Lauren Moyer; Chris Solada (Mercy),

Andy Solada (Brittany), Katie Solada (Kevin); Shelly (Bishop) McCharen (Bryan) and Dusty Bishop, and 8 great grandchildren: Parker Moyer; Annika, Ella, and Hannah Vanderbeek; Fenn Vanderbeek; Blake Solada; Malcom and Lukas McCharen. Phyllis is also survived by her two very close sisters, Dolores Grunwald and Diane Hayes of Germantown, many nieces and nephews, and dear friends Bev and Bo Willis, their next-door neighbors on Market St for 30 yrs. She also leaves behind dear friends Gordie Howard and Phyllis Bussard, Don's stepbrother and stepsister. A family graveside service was held Friday, Sept 10th. A public celebration of life will be held

Friday, October 1st, 2 PM at her home church, Emmanuel's Evangelical Lutheran Church, 30 West Warren St, Germantown, Ohio, Pastor Bonnie Kinnunen officiating. Visitation will begin at 1:30 PM, and an open to all dinner will be provided by the Church following the service. Memorial

contributions may be offered to Dayton Hospice at

https://www.hospiceofdayton.org/donations/, to Dayton's YWCA at https://www.ywcadayton.org/how-to-help/donate/, or to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society https://www.lls.org/

ways-to-give. Dalton Funeral Home, Germantown, serving the family. Please share condolences at daltonfh.net.

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