Fleming, Phyllis Jean

Phyllis Jean Fleming, 75, of 1735 Applewood Ct. NE, Cedar Rapids, died of duodenal cancer Friday, Feb. 18, 2011, at St. Luke's Hospital, Cedar Rapids. The service will be 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 26, at Cedar Memorial Chapel of Memories, 4200 First Ave. NE, where visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday and after 10:30 a.m. Saturday. Private family burial services will be held later at Fairview Church near Stuart.

Phyllis is survived by a brother, Harry, Col. (retired) U.S. Army, and his wife, Susanne, of Steilacoom, Wash.; a niece, Dr. Carrie Shuler DVM of Portland, Ore.; and two nephews, Lt. Col. Eric Fleming of Springfield, Va., and Andrew Fleming of Lakewood, Wash.

Phyllis was born May 6, 1935, to Albert S. and Golda (Williams) Fleming in Stuart, Iowa. Her interest in newspapers was sparked by a high school friend whose father ran a weekly paper in St. Ansgar. She said she watched the press run and thought “what potential someone might have if they worked for a newspaper.” Her family moved to Garner, where she graduated from high school in 1952 as the class salutatorian.

She worked her way through college and graduated from the University of Iowa in Iowa City in 1956, with a degree in journalism. While a student, she worked for the student newspaper, The Daily Iowan, and was a stringer for the old Davenport Democrat.

After college, Phyllis worked one year as a reporter for the Billings (Mont.) Gazette. She joined The Gazette in Cedar Rapids on Sept. 2, 1957, as an assistant state editor. She held a variety of editing jobs in the newsroom for the next 45 years, retiring in December 2002 as the newspaper's deputy managing editor.

Phyllis led a full and interesting life with family and friends. She traveled extensively and was an ardent fan of the UI women's basketball team. She had no children of her own but celebrated her brother's family's milestone achievements and loved being with them wherever he was assigned during his Army career. She also was interested in her co-workers' and friends' children and in charities that helped children.

Phyllis was a charter member of Friends of the Cedar Rapids Public Library, helping organize the group's first community book sale. After her retirement, she was named to the library's board of trustees in 2007. She was a docent for the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art and also served on the Fifteen in 5 community visioning committee.

Phyllis was a member of the advisory board for the Daily Iowan for more than 20 years and also served on the professional advisory board for the UI School of Journalism. The school's faculty this year unanimously voted her into the school's Hall of Fame.

Phyllis was an enthusiastic supporter of the public library, the Cedar Rapids Symphony (now Orchestra Iowa), Hancher Auditorium, Four Oaks and Waypoint.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be directed to the Cedar Rapids Public Library (CRPL) Foundation, 2600 Edgewood Rd. SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404 or online at ; and The American Cancer Society, 4080 First Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 or online at donate (please mark donations “for research”).