Phyllis Raye Shelton (née Blakely) was born June 15, 1936, in Warren, Ohio to the late John Blakely and Zena Justine Blakely (née Smith). She enjoyed spending time in Mineral Ridge at her grandparents’ house, playing with her siblings and baking with her mother. After graduating from Warren G. Harding High School and spending a long weekend in The United States Navy, she moved to Cleveland, Ohio in 1955.

When she first moved to Cleveland, Phyllis worked in a diner and as a seamstress for a bridal shop.  She would later work as an office assistant for Dunlop and Johnson and as an assistant buyer at May Company.  After spending hours at fabric stores and reading fashion magazines, Phyllis would become a skilled seamstress and fashionista who enjoyed making clothes and setting fashion trends for herself and her model, her youngest daughter Patty. Family members would wait for years to pry the stylish clothes off Patty’s back!

Phyllis enjoyed drawing, painting and graphic design. After retiring, she took many art classes at Cuyahoga Community College, Eastern Campus, while earning a scholarship for her stellar GPA.  She would attend local summer art festivals, including the Cain Park Art Festival and Beachwood Mall Art Festival every year.  When Phyllis was not doing art, she was shopping.  If you wanted to find her on the weekend, you could always find her at Macy’s “Super Saturday.”

Phyllis loved throwing parties for her family and never turned down an invitation to attend one.  As a member of the social group, The Night Owls, Phyllis hosted many parties while wearing one of her ‘original’ designed outfits. She was known for making her delicious, deviled eggs and her perfect pineapple upside-down cake. Phyllis also made sure that her daughters Janice and Kim celebrated every birthday with a party full of friends and family, in Cleveland and abroad, i.e. Warren, Ohio.

Phyllis was hilarious. She was the queen of one-liners and the champion of a well-timed joke. Known for her infectious giggle, her skill to assign you a priceless nickname and her ability to find laughter in the most mundane situations, she leaves behind a legacy of smiles and a collection of outrageous sayings that will continue to tickle our funny bones for years to come.

She was a devoted birthday party throwing host and loving wife to her husband, Lewis of 62 years. They loved to travel, especially to Las Vegas and Atlantic City. She was an awesome, caring and fun mother to her children Janice, Kim, and Patty and all their friends. She loved and valued all her nieces, nephews, grandchildren, cousins, and friends.

She departed this life on December 20, 2024. She is preceded in death by her parents, John and Zena; her sister Jacqueline Pickett; brothers Edward Blakely, Lynn Blakely and Timothy Vaughn.  Phyllis leaves to cherish wonderful memories to her husband, Lewis Shelton; daughters Janice Wallace, Kim Shelton and Patty Shelton-Wimberly (William); grandchildren, Erica “Zoe” Wallace, Justin “Tuffy” Bryant and Camille “Cami” Reynolds. She is also survived by her sisters Judith Davis, Gayle “Trina” Vaughn, best friend, Bonnie “Jean” Taylor, sisters-in-laws Linda Blakely (Lynn), Burdette Vaughn (Timothy) and Beatrice Minor (née Shelton), and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.