Phyllis Loraine Blanchard, 94, of Petoskey, passed away peacefully to heaven while at home, where she and her family lived for more than 50 years. Born November 18, 1924 in Traverse City, MI, she was the daughter of Elmer and Johanna (Berg) Baynton. Phyllis enjoyed cheerleading, singing in the girl’s tet, and working in her father’s antique shop, where she developed a love for china dishes.
She graduated from Traverse City Central High School Class of 1942, and made many long standing friendships along the way. In 1946, Phyllis became a Registered Nurse, graduating from Traverse City School of Nursing and Wayne State University. She spent the following summer as the camp nurse at Interlochen Music Camp, where she reconnected with her high school classmate, Bill.
On September 5, 1947, Phyllis married George “Bill” Blanchard, and they moved to East Lansing while Bill attended MSU. They eventually settled in Traverse City and were blessed with four children, all within 5 years! Besides being a homemaker, Phyllis was active in PTA, Child Study Club-6, Girl Scout leadership, and was the nurse for Camp Roy-El, a special needs camp, in Traverse City.
In 1960, the family moved to Petoskey, and continued to be active members in the Methodist Church. Phyllis volunteered freely as her children were going through school, and was the nurse for Petoskey Schools in 1965 and ’66. Throughout the years, she enjoyed singing in the choir, playing bridge, tennis and golf.
She and Bill were members of Petoskey Bay View Country Club, for over 50 years. For 25 years, Phyllis and Bill spent winters in Venice, Florida. They celebrated 68 happily married years together before Bill passed away May 24, 2016, at the age of 92.
Phyllis is survived by her son Jeff Blanchard of Petoskey, daughters Janifer Blanchard and Sally Blanchard of Harbor Springs, and Cindy Zipp (Tom) of Petoskey; two grandchildren, Jeff and Kali; two siblings, brother Bob Baynton (Loretta) and sister Sheri Varner (Chuck) both of Traverse City; sister-in-law and brother-in-law Betty and Dick Riley of Arizona; and many nieces and nephews. A memorial service is planned at the Petoskey United Methodist Church for April 17, 2019. The family will greet friends at 10 a.m. with a service at 11 a.m. Memorial donations may be directed to Petoskey United Methodist Church for radio ministry or music ministry (1804 East Mitchell Road, Petoskey, MI 49770) or to Emmet County Friendship Center for their Meals on Wheels program (1322 Anderson Road, Petoskey, MI, 49770).
Donations may be made to: Petoskey United Methodist Church 1804 Mitchell St., Petoskey MI 49770 Tel: 1-231-347-2733 Web: www. petoskeyumc.org Friendship Centers of Emmet County 1322 Anderson Rd.
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