Phyllis Green Braverman

Phyllis Green Braverman

Iowa City

Phyllis Green Braverman died peacefully at her beloved, winter home in Rancho Mirage, California on January 3, 2025, two days before her 91st birthday.

The eldest child of Frances and Lee Green, Phyl was born on January 5, 1934 in Oskaloosa, Iowa where she was raised. She briefly attended the University of Wisconsin before transferring to the University of Iowa where she graduated with a degree in Speech Pathology.

While still in college, Phyl met the love of her life, Richard (Dick) Braverman. They married in 1955. Over the next seven years they welcomed four children: Diane (Jeff Rossman) Laura (Mark Susskind), Jeff (Sara Dunn Braverman) and Randy (Sue Colen Braverman). Phyl devoted herself wholeheartedly to her family, cultivating a vibrant and nurturing home environment.

An inherently artistic person with a passion for beauty, Phyl transformed the family home in Iowa City into a spacious sanctuary of light and color, enhanced by the treasures she found on her travels near and far.

When her children grew older, Phyl returned to the University of Iowa where she earned a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Counseling. While she only worked briefly as a therapist, this work represented a natural next step in her career outside the home. She brought to her practice what she brought to everyone she met: a remarkable capacity to listen, a calm, unflappable presence, an unwavering optimism and a unique gift for guiding others toward their own insights.

Meticulous and well-organized, Phyl planned several unforgettable family trips and eventually, her love for travel became her primary focus. She transitioned from her counseling practice and, after learning the trade, opened her own travel agency, “Travel Concepts.” Working in the travel business truly lit her up. She relished designing itineraries and leading large groups on trips to faraway destinations. This new chapter allowed Phyl to channel her adventurous spirit, overall competence, graciousness and joie de vivre. Over the years, she and Dick explored the world, often accompanied by their children and their spouses.

Phyl is survived by her husband, her four children and their spouses, eleven grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and her brother, Dan Green and his wife Anne. She was predeceased by her parents and several dogs, whom she loved as if they were her children.

Her family would like to express their gratitude to the Serenity Hospice Care team: Diane, Marisol and Maria and caregivers Leilani and Rachel.

A memorial service will take place at Agudas Achim Congregation, 401 East Oakdale Blvd., Coralville, Iowa at 10:30 am on Wednesday, January 8, 2025.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made in Phyllis’s memory to a charity or cause of your choice.

Online condolences at www.lensingfuneral.com.