Phyllis Cavanagh

Our beloved and beautiful mom, Phyllis Jean (Featherstone) Cavanagh, 87, of Medina, left this world on March 30 after a full life lived through faith, creativity and service. She was born in Minneapolis on April 22, 1938, and married her high school sweetheart, Bill, on May 13, 1961. They raised 5 children in New Hope and Plymouth.

Education was extremely important to Phyllis. She graduated from Robbinsdale High School in 1956 where she was an active student. She was persistent in getting a college degree (the first in her family to do so). She finished her final two years at St. Cloud State University in 1966 with 3 young children while commuting to St. Cloud and her Pastoral Ministry Certificate from College of St. Catherine in 1992.

She taught preschool and later on was a favorite sub throughout the Robbinsdale School District, toting her guitar along. She was gifted working with small children her entire life - they were drawn to her energy and creativity. Later in life, Phyllis taught ESL to adult immigrants through Wayzata and Mound Westonka schools, where she also excelled. She loved learning about their cultures and stories.

Phyllis was a lifelong learner. She committed herself to expanding her knowledge of various faiths. She studied, took classes, participated in Bible study, retreats and read books about various aspects of spirituality. She was a believer in home masses, whether it be in the basement or at the lake with her homemade bread. She also loved liturgy and planned baptisms, weddings and funerals. Phyllis' love of learning extended to traveling. She relished the pubs of Ireland, beaches of Hawaii, sunsets on Lake Vermilion and pretty much anywhere she went.

Connecting with others was important to Phyllis. She was engaged in many volunteer endeavors including working with children dealing with grief and loss. She was the first to bring food to someone suffering or send cards or notes of encouragement. She was also intuitive about the feelings of others, and encouraged her kids to check in with individuals in need, often saying, "You should really call your sister/brother/aunt/cousin" when they were going through tough times.

Phyllis was also known for her boundless energy. She was dubbed the "energizer bunny" and "white cyclone". She was amazing at multi-tasking. She could be found talking on the phone and vacuuming simultaneously. She was often found sewing until the wee hours of the morning as she had a hard time putting down a project she had started. It was rare to see her relax.

She loved beautiful things. She had a beautifully decorated home and was well-put together. She could go from frumpy to fabulous in 15 minutes. This also translated into her love of gardening.

She was creative. Phyllis sewed outfits for her girls, doll clothes, swimsuits, pajamas, powder jackets and Halloween costumes. She had a trunk full of costumes and dress-up clothes. She loved puppets and putting on shows of any kind. She enjoyed working with her hands- cross-stitching, knitting, making curtains and table runners, quilts, and birthday cakes, and came close to visiting almost every fabric store in the country. She kept her mother-in-law's donut tradition alive with her kids and grandkids, sharing them with friends and family. She liked the challenge of figuring things out and never gave up. She was extremely persistent.

Phyllis had a strong devotion to her family. She adored her husband Bill and was proud of her 5 children and 8 grandchildren. She was encouraging and instilled the value of family time together: dinners, vacations, and celebrations. She cherished being a mom and a grandma and did it well.

Phyllis loved animals. Growing up, we had dogs, a turtle, a hamster, rabbits and baby bunnies. One of the loves of her life was our dog, Killy.

She is survived by her children: Mary Cavanagh (Tim), Jeanne Cavanagh, John Cavanagh (Maggie) and Molly Oeffling (Kary) and by her grandchildren: Anne Cavanagh (Cillian), Elisabeth Myers (Kevin), Matt Cavanagh, Ben Cavanagh-Thompson, Nicolas Cavanagh, Megan Oeffling, Charlie Oeffling and Austin Oeffling.

Phyllis is preceded in death by her husband Bill, son Bill, parents Stanley and Ruth Featherstone, sister Betty Lou and Gary Hendrickson, niece Kathy Lemberg, in-laws Bill and Marie Cavanagh, sister-in-law Mary Jo and Fabe Blonigan, sister-in-law Elizabeth Daly, brother-in-law Dan Daly, and sister-in-law Helen and John Devine.

Funeral arrangements: Visitation: Thurs, April 9, 4-7 pm with memory sharing 6-7pm, Gearty Delmore, 15800 37th Ave N., Plymouth, MN; Mass of Christian Burial: Fri, April 10, 11am with visitation one hour prior, St Joseph Catholic Community Parish Center, 8701 36th Ave N., New Hope, MN.

In honor of Phyllis, create something, call a friend, enjoy some natural beauty.

In lieu of flowers, donations are preferred to NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) or to a charity of the donor's choice.