Phyllis W. Hewes, 87, passed away in her home with her family at her side, on January 28, 2019. She was born on April 10, 1931, in Windsor, VT, the oldest daughter of Arthur James Weld and Pauline Bartley Weld. Fourteen years after her birth, Phyllis was joined by younger sister, Beverly Jean Weld and six years later by another sister, Deborah Elaine Weld. The Weld girls were raised in Cornish, NH. Although unknown to Phyllis at the time, it was during her childhood that she met her future husband in a tiny, one-room schoolhouse in South Cornish, NH. They met in the second grade and were inseparable from that point on.
Phyllis and Nathan Hewes graduated from Stevens High School in Claremont, NH, in June 1949 and were married on November 9, 1949. They embarked on a 69-year journey filled with love, adventure, hard work, mutual respect and shared values and goals. These values were imparted to their four children and grandchildren.
Phyllis is survived by Rhonda Amadon and her husband Frank Amadon of Cornish Flat, NH; Beth Hewes and friend, David Dumas of Orange, MA.; David Hewes of Walpole, NH and Cheryl Patterson of Langdon, NH and Douglas Hewes of Walpole, NH. She has seven grandchildren: Erin Amadon and husband Robert Hogg of Troy, ME; Courtney Amadon of Nottingham, NH; Nicole Goewey of Claremont, NH; Danielle Manning and husband Jamie Manning of Milford, NH; Joseph Goewey and fiancée Meredith Gobin of Berlin, NH; Tyler Hewes and wife Heather Hewes of South Cornish, NH and Emily Hewes, of Kingston, NH.
Phyllis is survived by five great-grandchildren: Noah, Gabe, Madison, Nate and Ellie
Phyllis is survived by her sister Beverly Owen and companion, Verne Westover of Dunnellon, Florida; sister Deborah Smith (William Smith, dec.) of Bloominton, IL; three nieces and one nephew; and many cousins
Special friends and former neighbors, Tom and Kelly Perron, also survive.
Phyllis started working for the telephone company right out of high school and retired from Nynnex in 1991 after 36 years of service. She and Nate modeled an unusual arrangement for the times. Her older children experienced a working mom, a dad who vacuumed, shopped and cooked (badly) and learned the struggles and triumphs of the working woman before it became the norm.
For 45 years, Phyllis and Nate lived on Mountain View Lake in Sunapee, NH. Phyllis enjoyed boating, watching the wildlife, and counting the new bob houses that popped up on the lake this time of year. Phyllis never particularly enjoyed swimming or being in the water but loved to water ski and perfected the art of leaving right from the dock. Once she was finished skiing, she would signal Nate to drop her on the shore. She often never even changed into her bathing suit as she knew she wouldn’t get wet above the ankles.
Phyllis loved to fish. She could tell many “fish stories”, including one involving a game warden who paid a visit to the house they owned on Back Lake in Pittsburg, NH. Pittsburg held many wonderful memories with countless hours on moose patrol, back road exploring, hiking, boating and snowmobiling. Phyllis and Nate also owned a home in Barefoot Bay, Florida and Phyllis spent many hours on the Indian River engaged in a different type of fishing, often hauling in the biggest, most unusual fish.
She enjoyed sewing and quilting. Phyllis was a meticulous seamstress, sewing everything from bathing suits, coats to business suits and school clothing for herself and her daughters. She also enjoyed cooking and rarely had a failure in the kitchen.
Visiting hours will be at Stringer Funeral Home, 146 Broad Street in Claremont, NH on Sunday, February 3rd from 1 to 2pm.
A funeral service will follow at the funeral home at 2pm with Rev. Jerry Kilyk officiating.
If you would like, please consider a donation in Phyllis’ name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at stjude.org/Give Now or 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105
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