Dearborn Heights, MI – Phyllis Mary (Maguire) Hoehn passed away at the age of 102.

Phyllis (Bernard R. Hoehn) is survived by her two sons, Dr. Philip M. Hoehn and Jerome (Jacqueline) Hoehn. Also survived by her grandchildren, Daniel (Alyssa), Kathleen, Tyler, Jerome Jr., Hunter, and Jason. Proud great grandmother of Annabella and step grandmother to LaJetta (LaJada, Neko, and Logan) and Shaheda.

Phyllis Mary (Maguire) Hoehn was born on January 29, 1919 in north central Wisconsin in the farming community of Halder. Raised by her father, Raymond Maguire, and mother, Ethel (Kurtzweil) Maguire. She was the eldest of 7 siblings: Jack (Roberta), Patricia (Fred) Lang, Carroll (Sybilla), Faith (Frank) Pinho, Jane (Hine) Dahlbacka, and Edith (Harold) Weigel. She was involved in milking the cows, collecting eggs, slopping the hogs, riding horses, and driving tractors.

She attended St. Roberts School in Halder, Wisconsin. Since there was no transportation, she often had to walk two miles. During the winter, she stayed with the nuns whom she found to be a lot of fun. When Jack was older, he would drive the horse and buggy to school but Phyllis recalled him being reckless when crossing streams and never felt safe with him at the reigns.

She started out teaching in a one-room schoolhouse of 40+ students, grades 1-8, for four years. Phyllis then attend Civil Aeronautics School in Chicago. She studied morse code, meteorology, and aeronautics. She was a weather person in air traffic control at Metro Airport. She reported the weather for all the stations for twelve years directing military planes during WWII. Besides Detroit, she served in Flint, Goshen, IN, Minneapolis, MN, Indianapolis, IN, and Madison, WI.

She once got a ride back to the farm one holiday with a pilot who ended up being the first to be hijacked in the United States. One day, she also spent time with a friend and three of the Green Bay Packers; she even had to give them a ride to the train station. She also met Ted Williams at a book signing at Hudsons while buying his book. One of her favorite books is The Good War by Studs Turkel, favorite movie is Gone with the Wind, and favorite color is pink. She loved to garden and really enjoyed her peonies around the yard.

When Phyllis worked the midnight shift, she would stop at Carters Restaurant for a newspaper and a snack. It was there where she first met her future husband, Bernard Hoehn. Their shared Catholic faith was a vital connection. Bernard and Phyllis were married August 25, 1941 in a house near Divine Child Catholic Church in Dearborn and went to St. Anne's in Quebec on their honeymoon.

Care giving was her true calling. She continued helping people by spending the next 35 years with the American Red Cross, organizing 5 or 6 volunteers from various churches around the community to assist donors in filling out forms and making them feel comfortable and appreciated for their efforts. The Red Cross acknowledged her efforts many times. Phyllis also served many years for the Divine Child Altar Society and was one of the founding members at Divine Child with her husband, Bernard. Shortly after her retirement from the Red Cross, she was invited on an Alaskan cruise by her nephew, Alan Lang. She loved that trip, especially the time spent with all of her family. Phyllis always appreciated the timing of that cruise as she suffered a severe stroke only six months later. Not being able to drive and garden was difficult as well as being weighed down by hearing aids, wheelchairs, and glasses, etc…but she still always thanked God for everything she had.

She would like everyone to consider donating blood regularly…Phyllis challenges you to donate over 100 pints just like she had done with 138 pints donated.

We are sure that everyone who knew Phyllis felt a genuine love from Nana, Mother, Mom, Aunt Phyllis, and Phyl. She will be forever missed. God Bless.

Visitation at the Dearborn Chapel of Howe-Peterson Funeral Home on Saturday 3/20, 5-8pm and Sunday 3/21, 4-8pm. Instate Monday 3/22 at Divine Child Catholic Church at 9:30am. Mass begins at 10:00am.

Interment at Holy Sepulchre, Southfield.