Phyllis Lucile Graham Boyle

MONONA-Phyllis Lucile Graham Boyle, age 87, passed away peacefully on June 4, 2011 in Monona, of causes associated with Alzheimers disease. Phyllis was born in Rochester, N.Y. on Jan. 12, 1924, the second child of Verna Markle Graham and William Dalton Graham. Phyllis grew up in Wilmette, Ill.; Shaker Heights, Ohio and Syracuse, N.Y. with her older brother Bill Jr. and her younger sister Pat. She married William Boyle on June 19, 1948, at Grace Episcopal Church in Madison. Mom adopted Monona as her home and put down deep roots here. She loved the lakes, beauty and history of Wisconsin. Phyllis graduated from UW-Madison in 1946, and was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma and the Monona Chapter of AAUW. Phyllis received a Masters of Library Science from the University of Wisconsin in 1969, and worked until 1985, as an administrative assistant and in Admissions and Placement in the Department of Library and Information Science at the University of Wisconsin. She loved her colleagues and the students. Phyllis volunteered as a docent at the Wisconsin State Historical Museum and was involved with the Monona Public Library. Mom loved to garden, play bridge and golf, sew and read; she always had a book nearby. She and Dad loved to travel and they saw the world together. Until recently, Mom and Dad spent part of every winter in Destin, Fla., a place Mom had been visiting since 1942. Destin was a beloved second home, as was the Lake House Mom and Dad built on Lake Arrowhead in Nekoosa. Phyllis is survived by her loving husband of nearly 63 years, William (Bill) Boyle of Monona. He has been her patient, devoted caregiver. Phyllis was a loving and generous mother to Richard (Cindy) Boyle of Middleton; Lynn (Gordon) Lonsdale of Highland, Utah; Steve (Sherry) Boyle of Madison and Barbara (Dick) Kopenski of Oregon. Proud Nana of Oriah (Amy) Lonsdale, Jacob (Lisa) Lonsdale, Benjamin (Karen) Lonsdale, Emily (Jeremy) Morris, Alice (Seth) Curtis, Ian Lonsdale; Kevin (Claudia) Boyle, Christopher Boyle, Patricia Boyle; Kelly Boyle, Katelyn Boyle, Joseph Boyle and Willie Kopenski. Great-Grandmother to Eben, Graham, Solenne and Adeline Lonsdale; Mason and Madison Lonsdale; Penelope and Aaron Morris; and Isabelle and Emma Boyle. She is also survived by her sister, Patricia Graham Conaway of Houston, Texas; brothers-in-law, Jack Boyle, of Monona; Tom (Marilyn) Boyle, of Madison; sister-in-law Betty Graham of Greensboro, N.C.; and ten nieces and nephews. Phyllis was preceded in death by her parents; her older brother, William Dalton Graham Jr.; sisters-in-law, Joyce Boyle and Edith Boyle; brother-in-law, Cam Conaway; nephew, Robert Boyle; and son-in-law, Richard Kopenski. Funeral services will be held at GUNDERSON EAST FUNERAL HOME, 5203 Monona Drive, Madison, at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, June 8, 2011, with Chaplain Robert Groth presiding. Burial will be at Forest Hill Cemetery. Visitation will be held at the funeral home from 10 a.m. until the time of service on Wednesday. Our family would like to express our immeasurable gratitude to the staff of the Heritage Monona Memory Care and Hospice for the deeply compassionate care you all gave to Mom. The family wishes any memorials given in Phyllis name be directed to Heritage Monona Memory Care or the Friends of Monona Library. God Be With You Till We Meet Again Cemetery: Burial will be at Forest Hill Cemetery. Visitation: Visitation will be held at the funeral home from 10 a.m. until the time of service on Wednesday. Service: Funeral services will be held at GUNDERSON EAST FUNERAL HOME, 5203 Monona Drive, Madison, at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, June 8, 2011, with Chaplain Robert Groth presiding.