Phyllis Wahl Keith

Phyllis Wahl Keith died Wednesday, October 8, 2014 at Summit Healthcare Regional Medical Center in Show Low, Navajo County, Arizona following a lingering illness. She was 77 years old. Phyllis was born on a Wednesday, July 28, 1937 in Pinedale, Navajo County, Arizona to her parents, the late Albert Russell and Diana May (Jackson) Wahl. Phyllis was a graduate, and the salutatorian, from Snowflake High School's Class of 1955. A few short months later, on September 9, 1955, Phyllis married her forever sweetheart, Johnnie Keith, in the Mesa Arizona Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Last month, the couple celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary together! Phyllis knew the importance of having a good education. She was brilliant in her thinking and received a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from the University of New Mexico. While there, she minored in English. Phyllis also knew the value of hard work. Hers was a house of order. She was a devoted wife and a loving mother to her family. Throughout her married life, Phyllis not only raised 2 children to become respectable and responsible adults, she also worked in managerial capacities for different businesses in the White Mountains. She worked many years for Hall Motors (which later became Darner Motors) in Show Low as an office manager and bookkeeper. She later worked with Kim Mattice at his accounting office in Pinetop. Phyllis was able to finish up her professional working career at Western Grade in Show Low. Wherever she hung her hat, Phyllis was well-liked by everyone and greeted all with a warm and gentle smile. When she wasn't working, Phyllis enjoyed spending time with her ever-growing family. She will always be remembered for her love of sports. She loved watching football, baseball and basketball and was a season ticket owner for many years. Phyllis was also blessed with a lifetime love of music. She learned to play the piano at a very young age. In fact, at the tender age of 7, Phyllis played the piano for her church family in the Pinedale Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Over the past 70 years, she shared her talents with hundreds and thousands of people, playing the piano and organ at countless funerals and weddings and other church services. Phyllis also had the privilege to be one of the organists at the Mesa Arizona Temple as well as the Snowflake Temple and considered that to be a tremendous blessing in her life. Phyllis is survived by her husband, Johnnie Keith of Taylor, Arizona; 2 children: Kenny (Shawn) Keith of Lakeside, Arizona, Julene (Mark) Muder of Show Low, Arizona; 4 grandchildren: Chris (Kaylee) Muder of Show Low, Arizona, Shelly (Nic) Finch of St. Johns, Arizona, Brian Muder of Phoenix, Arizona, Danny Keith of Lakeside, Arizona; 4 great-grandchildren: Brooklee Finch, Brinley Finch, Kannon Keith, Rylie Muder; 2 brothers: Robert (Debbie) Wahl of Show Low, Arizona and Steve (Karen) Wahl of Pinedale, Arizona. Along with her parents, Phyllis was preceded in death by a brother, Gordon Wahl and sister, Carma Jarrett. The visitation will be from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M., Tuesday, October 14, 2014 at Owens Livingston Mortuary - Heritage Chapel, 84 E. 19th South in Snowflake, Arizona. The funeral service will begin 10:00 A.M., Wednesday, October 15, 2014 at the Love Lake Chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 700 E. Love Lake Road in Taylor, Arizona. The concluding service and interment will immediately follow at the Pinedale Cemetery in Pinedale, Arizona.