Beverly Anne MacNeill Phillips

Beverly Anne MacNeill Phillips, 89, of Prescott Valley, Arizona, passed away Aug. 23, 2017. She was born July 25, 1928, to Lloyd R. and Esther Belle MacNeill (Whitaker) in Oelwein, Iowa. She attended Lindbloom High School in Chicago, Illinois, where she graduated in 1946 and continued her education at Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, graduating with the class of 1950. While there she sang in the college church choir from ’46 to ’50 and also met her husband to be, Paul E. Phillips, who she married in December 1950. She completed her schooling at The University of Iowa where she received a Masters Degree in 1973. Beverly spent most of her career as a teacher starting with Junior High School Science in Wapello, Iowa, from 1950 to 1951 and Junior High Science and English in Denmark, Iowa, from 1953 to 1957. From there she took a break from teaching, due to the school intolerance toward hiring both husband and wife, and worked as Nurses Aide in Grinnell, Iowa, at St. Francis Hospital (now part of Grinnell Hospital) from 1957 to 1961. In 1961, she went back to teaching Junior High Sciences in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, where she taught until 1990. From 1986 to 1989 Beverly and Paul spent summers in Prescott Valley, Arizona, working on a retirement house where they officially retired in 1990. Throughout her life, Beverly was very active in her community. During her years in Iowa she was a member of the Junior Chamber Wives in Grinnell from 1957 to 1961 was a Church Circle Member and taught Sunday School and Summer Bible School in Mt. Vernon. In Arizona, she was a member of the VFW 10227 Auxiliary, acting as President for two years and District President for a year’s term, as well as secretary of the Auxiliary for many years. She was also a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, the Lioness Club, the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Prescott Valley United Methodist Church, where she was a Church Circle Member, serving as President for two years and taught Bible School for five years. She served as secretary for the Prescott Valley Military Service Monument and continued her teaching as a substitute in the Prescott Valley, Prescott and Mayer school systems for eight years. Beverly is survived by her three children: E. Lynne Pisarak (Carl) of Prescott Valley, Arizona; Russell Paul Phillips (Carol Sue) of Thompson’s Station, Tennessee; Douglas MacNeill Phillips of Prescott Valley, Arizona; and four grandchildren: Jessica, Bryan, Drew and Brenden. Information provided by survivors.

Beverly Anne MacNeill Phillips

July 25, 1928 - August 23, 2017