Phyllis Lorraine Wellander, of Adna, passed away peacefully Aug. 11, 2024, at the age of 81.
Born in Bremerton, Washington, on Aug. 10, 1943, to Arnold and Dorothy Reich, Phyllis spent her youth in Richland, Washington, where she graduated from Richland High School in 1961.
Upon graduation, Phyllis moved to Seattle, Washington, to attend the University of Washington. While working at Burgermaster, Phyllis met “a sweet guy” named Michael Wellander, and they married Dec. 27, 1963. In 1977, Mike and Phyllis relocated to Adna, Washington, with their two children, Wendie and David. Shortly after, Phyllis began working at Security State Bank as a teller and eventually worked her way up to an operations officer, a position she would retire from after 30 years.
Phyllis loved spending time with her family. Her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren were her whole world. She loved reading and would often be found with a book in her purse. She also enjoyed attending her grandkids’ activities, keeping up on current world events and working in her yard. Phyllis could also be seen driving to town, sometimes multiple times a day, for her grocery shopping social time, something she had fondly pestered her late husband for. She also enjoyed attending her monthly dates with her lunch ladies.
Phyllis was preceded in death by her husband of 55 years, Michael; and her parents, Arnold and Dorothy. She is survived by her sisters, Loretta (Don) Rippee and Marcia Peterson; children, Wendie (Casey) Dotson and David (Jodi) Wellander; grandchildren, Tarin (Tyson) Drevniak, Alexa (Trevor) Heiberg, Riley, Luke (Megan), Faith and Lilly Wellander; and great-grandchildren, Bennett and Berkeley Drevniak, and Loraine Heiberg.
A celebration of life is scheduled for 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 8, at the Adna Grange. A private graveside service will be held at a later date. Arrangements are under the care of Sticklin Funeral Chapel.
