Wife, mother grandmother, literary scholar, teacher, author, editor, volunteer, mentor, friend - passed away at home after a seven-month battle with lung cancer. She leaves behind her husband Stelios, sons Evan (Dr. Gabrielle Weiler) and Daniel (Laura Mercer), grandchildren Sophia, Zoe, Leonidas, Eleanor and Madeleine, her brother Marshall and nephews and nieces in the US, and Greece. For her husband, this marks the end of a 52-year love affair with his free-spirited Jewish girl from small-town America. The two met as students and political activists in Berkeley and matured as university teachers and parents in Ottawa. Phyllis held a BA in mathematics from the University of Rochester and an MA and PhD in English literature from the University of California at Berkeley. She taught literature at the University of Ottawa, published scholarly studies on various authors including Margaret Atwood and Doris Lessing, edited two volumes of readings and co-edited a literary magazine. Phyllis and her husband traveled widely, across North America as well as in many other countries including Greece, France, Spain, Italy, the UK, Turkey, Cyprus, Israel, Thailand, Romania and China. She also leaves behind to mourn many friends from the Old Ottawa South neighbourhood, former students and teaching colleagues and the Greek and Baha’i communities of Ottawa, as well as dear friends all over the world. Her family will always remember her kindness, compassion, empathy and concern for others, which she has passed along to the younger generations. Friends are invited to visit the Sacred Space of the Beechwood Funeral, Cemetery and Cremation Service, 280 Beechwood ave. (east of vanier Parkway) on Saturday March 17th for a Multiconfessional Memorial Service at 2p.m. followed by a reception. In memoriam donations to the Canadian Cancer Society, the CHEO Foundation, Amnesty International, the World Wildlife Fund for Nature or the Charity of your choice would be appreciated.