Phyllis Benyo

Phyllis Ann (Bloom) Benyo age 90 of Nashua, died Saturday, March 14, 2015, at her home. A Memorial Mass will be held 10:30 a.m. Thursday, March 19, 2015 at St. Michael’s Church in Nashua with Rev. Gary Mayer presiding. Interment will be held at a later date. Friends may greet the family from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Hugeback-Johnson – Olson Chapel in Nashua, with a 4:00 p.m. rosary. Visitation will continue and hour prior to mass Thursday at the church. If so desired, memorials may be given to the National Cervical Cancer Coalition. Phyllis Ann Bloom was born August 5, 1924 in Nashua, Iowa, the daughter of John and Mary (Staudt) Bloom. In her youth she was very talented in different instruments including the accordion, piano and fiddle she played in a small band for other one room school houses. During her high school years in Nashua she helped out younger kids by teaching them English. She also played on the basketball team and was a champion curler. She graduated in 1943 from the Nashua High School. She attended the University of Iowa as a registered medical technologist. She worked at Schoitz Memorial Hospital in Waterloo. While at Schoitz Memorial Hospital she was involved in cancer research and taught foreign students about medical technology. While working as Chief Medical Technician at Schoitz Memorial Hospital in Waterloo, she met and married Tom Benyo from Armburst, Pennsylvania on September 19, 1953 at Edward’s Catholic Church in Waterloo. To this union two children were born. Tom was a USAF Airman. As her husband was assigned to military locations Phyllis was able to travel extensively. It began with a sixteen-day journey from San Francisco, California to the island of Formosa, Keelung Harbor. The two maintained residency here for 1.5 years with occasional shopping trips to Hong Kong from Taipei. They then relocated to Pruem, Germany. Here she stayed living in farm country. She and Tom traveled all throughout Europe with many great adventures. It was also at this time that their two children, Tracy and Kelley were born. She also worked in other labs in the U.S as her family relocated. Phyllis and Tom returned to the U.S with short stays in Corvallis, Oregon; Sioux City, Iowa; Havre, Montana. They retired from the Air Force in 1970 and returned to Nashua. Phyllis was active in St. Michael's Church and circle, she taught CCD for 4 years, was a Girl Scout leader and neighborhood chairman. Phyllis was also the president of Music Mothers for two years at the high school. She loved needlepoint and sewing and was an avid reader of all literatures. Cooking and gardening were some of her favorite hobbies as well. Survivors include her husband of 61 years Tom of Nashua, Iowa; two daughters, Tracy (Dalton) Leonard of Marietta, Georgia, Kelley (Carrie Michurski) Benyo of Minneapolis, Minnesota; two grandchildren, Abigail and Oliva Leonard; one brother, Max Bloom of Sheboygan, Wisconsin; and many nieces and nephews along with close friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, John Irvine Bloom and Mary Estelle (Staudt) Bloom; her grandparents, Nikolous Bloom, Marie Bloom, Mathew Staudt and Anna Staudt.