Obituary

Phyllis June McCaughin, 93, of Charleston, WV, passed away peacefully on September 25, 2024, after a short stay in hospice.

She was preceded in death by her brother Arles Shock, sister Wanda Gilbert and parents Norman and Barbara Shock.

Phyllis is survived by her daughter, Susan McCaughin Kolenda (Byron Johnson) in Arizona. In West Virginia, by her nephew Ronald Blizzard, nieces Donna Jones, Jenny Casdorph, Jodie Gilbert, Bonnie Taylor, Brenda Gilbert and Mary Case.

Her many endeavors included being a health buff and teaching exercise classes at the YWCA for many years. She was a Switchboard Operator at both the CHS (channel 13) office and at the State Capitol Building. While working as an office worker (in the basement) of Greyhound Bus; bats would occasionally fly over her head! She was a secretary at Charleston National Bank (Bank One), retiring from there. After that, having to keep busy; she went to work for Goldfarb Electric Supply.

She loved building things with wood; helping the contractor build the deck on her home. Many things Phyllis built were small, decorative bird houses, tissue boxes, stools, and doll chairs. Also, full size benches of which the last one can still be seen in her yard; leaning from its age, with its weathered blue paint. From a child, she played piano up until a car accident in the actual flood of 1961 where she cut a tendon in a finger.

When her daughter, Susan was 16 years old, she made her Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls from scratch. Including their yarn hair! She was artistic, painting simple old time-y images, doing photography of the family and sewing (even without patterns)!

Only breaking her right arm last February stopped her daily driving of her beloved white turbo-charged car – as she couldn’t shift the gears! Shopping and eating out were her daily passions; which she did up to just a couple days before she passed on.

Phyllis often touted this message to us all, “I just want to have FUN!”. She was a pistol, feisty, bossy and opinionated. The type of person everyone remembered! May she Rest In Peace.

As per her wishes, Phyllis was cremated and there will be no service at this time.

Condolences may be sent to her family at www.barlowbonsall.com.

Barlow Bonsall Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements.