Phyllis Jean Howden

PHYLLIS JEAN HOWDEN

9/28/38-9/10/2020

Phyllis Jean Howden went to be with her Lord and Savior on Thursday, September 10, 2020 in Visalia, California, after a short battle with cancer.  Phyllis was 81 years old.  She was a beloved daughter, sister, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and friend.  Phyllis was surrounded by those she loved as she left this earth to be united with her parents, brother, husband and grandchild.Phyllis was born in Lindsay, California to Orion and Virginia Collins.  The oldest of four children and the only girl.  She is survived by two of her brothers, Bill and Don Collins and preceded in death by her brother Dick Collins. 

Phyllis grew up and attended school in Strathmore, California.  She graduated from Strathmore High School, attended the College of Sequoias and completed beauty school.  She spent her younger years working in the citrus industry, providing for her children and serving the Lord by sharing her talents playing the piano and organ.

She was a devoted wife to her late husband, Keith Howden, and a loving mother to her four children Debbie Gill, Lori Cornacchia, Mike Reeves and Shari Kritsch.  As her family grew, you could find her in her “happy place” surrounded her family, playing gin rummy, writing poems, making homemade strawberry ice cream and snuggling all her grand-babies.  

In her later years, you could find Phyllis almost daily in her “pink lady get-up”, volunteering at the Kaweah Delta gift shop through the hospital guild.  Phyllis devoted her life to God, family, friends and giving back to her community.  She was always willing to go above and beyond to serve others. That legacy will live on within her family.

Phyllis will be remembered for her joyous smile, making friends with every stranger or baby in a stroller, signing “love you big bunches” on every birthday card and forever filling her grandkids up with candies found at the bottom of her purse.

Her memories will fill the hearts of all those who loved her dearly, including her four children, four step children, sixteen grandchildren, eight step-grandchildren and fifteen, almost sixteen, great-grandchildren.

A celebration of her beautiful life will be held Saturday, September 19, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. at Neighborhood Church in Visalia California.  In lieu of flowers, donations in her honor can be made to the Leukemia & Lymphoma 

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