Phyllis R. Gordon
September 23, 1933 – June 27, 2023
Longtime Patagonia resident Phyllis Rosalyn Gordon died on June 27, 2023, in St. Joseph’s Hospital, Tucson, AZ.
Born in Aberdeen, Idaho, to Jacob and Rose (Hayter) Isaak, Phyllis attended the University of Idaho where she earned a B.S. in Education in 1955. For many years, she taught English in the Anaheim, California public schools.
After retiring, she moved first to Tucson before buying a property in the Valley of a Thousand Oaks community outside Patagonia, where she lived for the rest of her life. She loved her home for its spectacular landscape and rich biodiversity.
An avid birder, she was a fierce defender of the environment. She enjoyed volunteering at the Amerind Museum in Dragoon and at the Patagonia Lake State Park.
While Phyllis was a solitary person, she treasured the community in Patagonia and appreciated the daily gatherings at the Senior Center especially.
She is survived by sister-in-law Margaret Isaak, nieces Teresa Anderson, Patricia Morton and Marilyn Talbot, and nephews Jeffrey Isaak and Eric Morton. Please make donations in her name to the Patagonia Area Resource Alliance.