Phyllis Jean ‘Pep’ Bright 1923 - 2010

Phyllis Jean Bright, 87, passed away Monday, November 15, 2010, at the Red Rock Care and Rehab facility in Cottonwood, Arizona.

Phyllis was born at the People’s Hospital in Sayre, Pennsylvania on April 11, 1923, to William Tell Peppard and Henrietta Morton. The family relocated to Bath, New York where Phyllis learned to fish and sail at Kueka Lake. She played the clarinet in the Haverling High School band and graduated from there in 1940.

After high school, Phyllis moved to Buffalo, New York to attend the University of Buffalo, School of Nursing and the Edward J. Meyer Hospital Training School for Nurses. While at Edward J. Meyer, she was president of the student council, a member of the Phi Nu Sigma sorority and the Sport Club, and a member of the yearbook staff. She graduated from Edward J. Meyer in October 1944.

Phyllis worked as a “Nurse, General Duty” at the Bath Memorial Hospital until joining the Army Nurse Corps as a second Lieutenant in March 1945. She served at Camp Bowie, Texas and was transferred to Fort Sam Houston, Texas to be discharged in April 1946. While serving at Fort Sam, Phyllis met her future husband, Captain Daniel Bright. The two were married on July 11, 1946 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

In 1947, Phyllis and Dan moved to Detroit, Michigan. While in Detroit, she worked as a RN at the Highland Park Hospital. In July 1949, Phyllis and Dan had their first child, Daniel Anthony Bright. With the arrival of their son, Phyllis traded her nursing career for a new career as a caring mother. In 1951, the new family, along with their Boston terrier, Duchess, relocated to Clarkdale, Arizona.

Clarkdale was a big change from Detroit. Phyllis was quoted as saying she saw, “tumbleweeds blowing down the streets.” Dan accepted a position with Marcus J. Lawrence Memorial Hospital and started his private practice in pediatrics and X-ray in 1951. From 1952 through 1963, Phyllis and Dan welcomed four more additions to their family.

Phyllis was an active member of the community. She is registered in the Women in Military Service Association Memorial in Washington, D.C. Her hobbies included golf, gardening, local sports, along with her grandchildren and beloved pets. She is survived by 5 children: Dan (Debi), Ken (Terri), Heidi, Ron, Barry (Nancy); and 8 grandchildren: Dan Jr., Steven, Ken Jr., Jerrod, Ashley, Kelly, Landon, and Easton.

The family is planning a private service in December 2010. Donations may be made to Northern Arizona Hospice and the Second Chance Center for Animals. Condolences and memories may be left on the Westcott Funeral Home webpage at the following address: www.westcottfuneralhome.com.

Information provided by survivors.