Elvera Gota Phillips Obituary (1917

Elvera Gota Phillips was born in Denver, Colorado December 23, 1917 and passed away in Bellevue, Washington on November 9, 2011 at the age of 93. Elvera was the daughter of Edward and Julia Soderberg and was pre-deceased by her older brother Eddie and younger sister Evelyn. And by her devoted husband Saul Phillips last year after 61 years of marriage. Our mother was an early bloomer graduating from high school at 17 and earning her B.A. in Education from Colorado State College of Education at age 19. She then began her long career as a teacher in the Denver schools and later Carman School District in Flint, Michigan. Elvera returned to college to earn her Master of Arts in Library Science from the University of Michigan in 1964 and became the Library Media Center Coordinator for the Carman-Ainsworth School District in Flint, Michigan until retirement in 1983. An expert in children's literature, she also taught courses on children's literature for the University of Michigan. Elvera was a devoted and caring wife and mother and will be greatly missed by her children Julie and her husband Albert Ben-Simon, Ellen and her husband Ron Angeles, and David and his wife Edee Phillips; grandchildren Daniella and Michael Ben-Simon, Siri and Antonia Angeles, Leo, Ari and Eli Phillips as well as by her sister and brother-in laws and many nieces and nephews. Services and internment will be held November 15th at the Tahoma National Cemetery. Donations in our mother's memory can be made to The King County Library System Foundation, The Seattle Public Library Foundation or Room To Read www.roomtoread.org. Please sign our online guestbook @ www.columbiafuneralhome.com