Phyllis Ann Aley

Phyllis Ann Aley Phyllis Ann Aley, 81, a resident of Flagstaff, Arizona, peacefully passed from this life on October 21, 2012 in Braymer, Missouri. She was born in Kansas on January 1, 1931. Phyllis is preceded in death by her beloved friend and companion of 45 years, Nancy D. Larmer, and her parents, Henderson Aley and Harriet Elizabeth Toomay Aley, as well as other cherished relatives and close friends. She is survived by her brother and sister-in-law, Mike and Betty Aley, niece, Sandy Jasso, nephew, Scott Aley, and four great-nieces and nephews. Additionally, she is survived by other family members, numerous beloved friends, and many former students who kept in contact with her through the years. In preparing for her life's work, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Education at Fort Hays State and a Master of Arts in Education. She supplemented her knowledge base and honed her teaching skills by completing additional university courses throughout her career. Her life was centered around a teaching career that spanned 40 years of service and took her to several large public high schools in Kansas and Illinois. During those years, she enriched the lives of more than 5,000 high school students, teaching them so much more than the material found in those Social Studies courses. She taught them to appreciate and respect each other, no matter their backgrounds; to be proud of themselves and their heritage; to value their education and make it a priority in their lives; to never be afraid to pursue their dreams, especially college; to realize that we are our brothers and sisters keepers and to accept the responsibility that goes along with it; to go out into the world and have some fun, but never at another's expense; and, to leave this world a better place than when we came in to it. Students wanted to be in Phyllis' classes because she made them feel special. She believed in them and they knew it. She was a motivator and a mentor for her kids. They generally worked hard for her, primarily because they didn't want to disappoint her. She took pride in knowing her students and what their life/home conditions were like. If they needed assistance, she was the first to help them find it, often times, providing it herself. Phyllis volunteered for extra-curricular duties at school and accepted one of the most challenging and time-consuming roles in a high school environment, that of the Senior Class Sponsor. For well over half of her career, she worked with the senior class as they enjoyed their last year of high school and pre-pared to graduate. That meant lots of activities beyond the school day, including: Homecoming Week/Parade and Dance; Halloween Pumpkin Patch for the Pre-School kids; Thanksgiving Food and Clothing Drive for the a special Navajo family that the class sponsored; Christmas Food and Toy Drive for needy children in the school community; Valentine's Day Dance; St. Patrick's Irish Days and Dance; the annual Blood Drive; Cap and Gown Distribution; and last but not least, planning the Graduation Ceremony. Every year, she worked hundreds of extra hours in support of the Senior Class activities! Beyond her career, she was passionate about the Native American tribes of the Southwest, their people and their culture. Each summer for most of her young adult life, she would drive to Arizona from Chicago and immerse herself in the Navajo and Hopi cultures by spending extensive periods of time on the reservations. Through the years, she became close friends with many people from both tribes, and many of those friendships lasted throughout the remainder of her life. She was often a guest in their hogans, or plaza homes, a participant/observer at special ceremonies such as the Kachina Dances in the villages on the Hopi mesas, or a Navajo Cleansing Ceremony or Squaw Dance or Healing Ceremony; of-ten a guest in a Navajo home to share a meal of fry bread and mutton stew and Kool-Ade; often, she could be seen at the reservation Cultural Center, visiting with the artists who were selling their work, and often coming home with another piece to add to her collection. Her home was filled with beautiful Native American artwork: Navajo rugs, paintings, baskets, Hopi Kachinas, drawings, and jewelry. When she retired and moved to Flagstaff, she and Nan had a beautiful adobe-style home built and they filled it with all the Native American treasures they had collected throughout the years. It was a warm and welcoming home and she often entertained many friends and relatives there. The neighbors loved the decorations she would hang in the small trees located in the boulevard in front of her home. As the seasons changed, so too the theme of the decorations changed! Phyllis Ann Aley was a kind and generous soul, who cared deeply for the children whose paths she crossed. She was deeply committed to assist the Navajo and Hopi people of Arizona in whatever way she could. She loved her family and close friends beyond words. A Memorial Service will be held at the Lindley Pitts Funeral Home, Braymer, Missouri, on Saturday, October 27, 2012, at 9:30 a.m. There is no scheduled family visitation. Friends may call at the Lindley Pitts Funeral Home, Braymer, Missouri, on Friday, October 26, 2012, from 12 noon until 5:00 p.m. Inurnment will be held at McBee Chapel Cemetery, Braymer, Missouri. Memorial contributions may be made to the McBee Chapel Cemetery and may be left at or mailed to Lindley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 47, Chillicothe, Missouri 64601. Online condolences may be made at www.lindleyfuneralhome.com . Arrangements are under the direction of Lindley Pitts Funeral Home, Braymer, Missouri.