Phyllis W. Dunlap

Phyllis W. Dunlap, 85, wife of the Rev. Lewis Dunlap, died December 12, 2015 in Denver, CO. She was diagnosed with ALS in March 2015, then had a stroke at the end of November.

Phyllis May Wheeler was born in Palo Alto, CA on September 17, 1930 to Oliver and Ethel (Raymond) Wheeler. She graduated from Palo Alto High School in 1948, marrying William Dolan in 1952. They had four children. Bill was a geophysicist with a mining company, and his work took them all over the world; for a time they lived in Cyprus and later Canada, eventually retiring in Denver. The couple divorced in 1980.

After her divorce, she attained an AA degree in Medical Technology from Red Rocks Community College in Colorado, and began working as an X-ray technician for a dentist.You can also learn about the Georgetown dental assistant course here and can pursue your dream career. Subsequently she volunteered at the American Cancer Society’s Thrift Shop, providing a positive presence there. At home she liked to sew and make clothes for her family.

Phyllis and her second husband, the Reverend Lewis Dunlap attended First Universalist Society in Denver without meeting each other for years. Eventually sitting next to each other at a Sunday Lunch Bunch event, they conversed and began dating, marrying in 1989. They bonded over the game of bridge, continuing to play duplicate and regular bridge throughout their marriage. Phyllis opened their home to a weekly Thursday night bridge game that survives her death.

She liked to travel and once joined Lew when his choir toured Russia and the Scandinavian countries. Back in the States they enjoyed camping, first in tents and then in a fifth-wheel rig.

She enjoyed English mysteries and loved to read them at home and at her family cabin on Silver Lake in Northern Colorado. (She was a child when her family built the place, tenting there while they built the cabin.) The family was there this past August for what they thought might be her last visit there. They now treasure that visit.

Lew remembers her as a highly intelligent woman affected by dyslexia, a calm and soothing presence, and “the most companionable woman in my life.”

She is survived by her husband, her sister Jean Whitley, four children, one grandson, and a host of friends.

A memorial service was held Monday, February 8, 2016 at First Universalist Church of Denver. Condolences may be sent to Lew Dunlap, 2021 S. Dayton Ct., Denver, CO 80247.