Phyllis Ann (Noe) Neese, age 80, of Frisco, Texas, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her loving family, on Wednesday, April 25, 2018. Phyllis was born February 8, 1938 in Virginia, Illinois, to Claude and Grace (Walbert) Noe.
Phyllis graduated from Virginia High School in Virginia, Illinois in 1955. While in high school, her first job was as a switchboard operator at Cass Telephone. After high school she worked as a secretary for the State of Illinois in Springfield where she met her devoted husband, Tracy Lee Neese. They were married on April 18, 1957 at the Methodist Church in Virginia, Illinois. In the 1960’s when Tracy went back to college, Phyllis worked at the University of Illinois in the Department of Agriculture They eventually moved to Petersburg, Illinois where they raised their children Barry and Nancy in an idyllic Victorian home. During her time in Petersburg, Phyllis was an active member of the First United Methodist Church and was very involved in the local historical society where she organized the town's bicentennial celebration in 1976. In 1979, Tracy's job at the State of Illinois brought the family to Plano, Texas. Phyllis was active in the local Welcome Wagon and was a founding member of Custer Road United Methodist Church. During this time, she started working as a secretary at the Plano Police Department. At the time of her retirement in 1993, she was secretary to the chief of police. Her time at the Plano Police Department was one of her greatest joys and proudest accomplishments. After retirement, Phyllis and Tracy moved to Holly Lake Ranch in East Texas. She began volunteering with Helping Hand, a local charity in Hawkins, Texas and was actively involved until moving to Frisco, Texas to be closer to her children and grandson in 2016.
Phyllis was a devoted matriarch and was born to be a mom in every sense of the word. She was only 11 years old when her father passed away and she helped raise all of her younger siblings. Her life revolved around her family and friends. She was an avid and passionate bridge player and belonged to and organized many bridge clubs over the years. She was overjoyed when she became a grandmother in 1998 to Connor, the light of her life. She will be profoundly missed by her family and friends.
Phyllis is survived by her loving husband of 61 years, Tracy Lee Neese;devoted daughter, Nancy Lea (Neese) Delsey and husband, Brian, of Farmersville, Texas; beloved grandson, Connor Glenn Neese, of Little Elm, daughter-in-law, Alison Neese, also of Little Elm, Texas; brother, Gary Noe and wife, Juanita, of Beardstown, Illinois; sisters, Peggy Sim and husband, Art, of Warner-Robbins, Georgia, and Marilyn McLin of Virginia, Illinois; and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her son, Barry Glenn Neese, three sisters, one brother, and her parents.
The memorial service will be held at First Frisco United Methodist Church, 7659 Preston Road, Frisco, on Friday, June 1, 2018, at 11:00 a.m., with Reverend Cheryl Jones officiating.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Hawkins Helping Hand 320 W. Front Street, Hawkins, Texas 75765.