The People in Your Neighborhood: Celebrating Canton Seniors

May is Older Americans Month, a time to acknowledge the lives and contributions of seniors around the United States. The library is proud to present this biography of a Canton senior.

Phyllis is a beloved Page at the Canton Public Library. Children love her easy smile, knowledge of where items are located in the collection and her joy at helping out with programming all year long. As you get to know Phyllis, you will see this completely makes sense as she is the mother of three beautiful children (one daughter and two sons), a grandmother to seven, and a great-grandmother to two. Her joy in talking about them showcases her lovely smile, which radiates all the way up to her eyes.

Phyllis was born in Detroit and graduated from Henry Ford High School. She traveled to Germany when she was 18 for a memorable trip after high school. In 1975, Phyllis and her family first moved to the Canton area, moving to Plymouth briefly and then back to Canton in 2001.

She has enjoyed working as a Page at the Canton Public Library for the past 12 years. Before working at CPL, Phyllis spent her time as a secretary, and later a homemaker, while raising her family. Phyllis was married for 45 years before becoming a widow not long ago.

Traveling around Germany as a late teen was fun experience for Phyllis, and she continued to travel around the United States. However, since there is no place like home, her favorite place to travel is, indeed, Michigan. One of her favorite places to visit in our beautiful mitten state is Mackinac Island, although she has not had the chance to go there in several years. She also recently traveled to Arizona and Minnesota, as she has a son in each of those states.

Outside of work, Phyllis enjoys many wonderful hobbies to exercise both her body and mind. She is an avid golfer, enjoys pilates, loves reading, and plays rousing games of mahjong with her neighbors. When asked what her favorite book was, she laughed a bit and asked to give her a minute (like most staff at the library, picking a favorite book can be like picking a favorite child). However, Phyllis was up to the task and mentioned that her favorite book is Winter of the World by Ken Follett, although she has also been delving into the romance genre of late. While Phyllis enjoys eating many treats, her true favorite is anything chocolate and she will gladly enjoy a piece while at lunch or reading a good book.