Phyllis Mae Wadleigh

Phyllis was born on April 11, 1929 in Presque Isle, Maine to Edwin James and Lois Evelyn Harriman, welcomed by her doting older brothers Donald and Richard. The Harriman family lived in Hudson, Massachusetts and spent the summers at their camp in Georgetown, Maine. Some of Phyllis’s fondest memories were from Georgetown where cousins (Nancy Archibald, Cappy Coombs, Lea and Mark Sannella) and their families would visit, spending countless hours at the seashore.

After graduating from high school Phyllis enrolled at Framingham State Teachers College to study home economics, which surprised her as she had never held much interest in home economics prior to that. She persevered, discovered she was not only quite good at sewing but that she enjoyed it, and upon graduation began teaching home economics in Athol, Massachusetts.

In the summer of 1952 Phyllis and three teaching colleagues (Margaret, Brownie, and Posie) headed west for a road trip to the Canadian Rockies and several American national parks. This trip inspired her to pursue career opportunities in the western United States. She was hired by the Colorado Home Extension Agency, drove across the country (before the days of interstate highways) accompanied by her cousin Lea, and settled into her new position as a home extension agent in Colorado’s San Luis Valley.

It was there that Phyllis met Ronald Wadleigh, a young engineer. Phyllis and Ron were married July 8, 1955 in Ayer, Massachusetts. They moved into their new home in Monte Vista, Colorado where they began to raise their family. During that time Phyllis sewed nearly all of her daughters’ clothing, created Halloween costumes for her children that could easily serve as pajamas after the event, knitted numerous sweaters and Christmas stockings, led 4-H clubs, worked as a judge at 4-H fairs, served as a substitute teacher, and volunteered with local organizations.

In 1966 Phyllis enrolled in graduate school at nearby Adams State College to pursue her true passion and earned a master’s degree in guidance and counseling. After the family relocated to Cañon City, Colorado in 1968, she began working at the Department of Social Services—initially as a caseworker and ultimately serving as Director of Child Welfare. In 1979 Ron and Phyllis moved to Arvada, Colorado, and in 1980 she completed her master’s degree in social work at the University of Denver.

Phyllis worked as a counselor and social worker for several organizations and had a private practice as well. She continued to see clients until 2012 when she retired at the age of 83.

From 1995–2005 Phyllis and Ron were snowbirds, wintering in Florida and summering in Colorado, taking advantage of all that both states had to offer. During those years Phyllis enjoyed keeping up with the latest in technology, being one of the first in the family to own and use a computer. She was a voracious reader and still enjoyed sewing and needle work. In 2008 Phyllis and Ron moved to Berthoud, Colorado and Phyllis then resided in Santa Fe, New Mexico from 2018 to 2020 when she moved to Longmont, Colorado.

Phyllis lived her last three years in memory care at Atria. She was content, happy, and a favorite of many of the staff. Her family is grateful for the excellent care she received there.

Phyllis is survived by her children Jan (Bill) Wollner, Al (Sarah) Wadleigh, and Lois (Vince) McCarty; her grandchildren Andrew (Alaina) Wollner, Emily Wollner, Jessica McCarty, and Vanessa (Shaquille) Cahill, and her great-grandson Xavier Cahill; nieces and nephews Nancy Harriman, Elizabeth Harriman (Gary Mercer), Richard (Rosa) Harriman Jr., Heidi (Len) Ewen, and Patrice Eller; great nieces and nephews Kiersten Pfeifer (Rory Benjamin), Justin Pfeifer, Nathan Mercer (Sarah Meierotto), Lindsay Mercer, Mercedez (Jamie) Aleman, Richard Harriman III, Lottie Ewen, and Peyton Ewen; four great-great nieces and nephews; and her cousin Cappy (Lilian) Coombs.

Phyllis was predeceased by her husband Ron in 2009. She was also predeceased by an infant son, her parents, brothers, two great-grandchildren, numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and her beloved childhood dog Brownie.

A celebration of Phyllis’s life will be held at a later date.