Phyllis Joan (Dooley) Meharry

August 19, 1933 - December 22, 2022

Phyllis Joan (Dooley) Meharry was born at home in Coal Creek Township (Montgomery County, Indiana) on August 19, 1933, the youngest of six children, to Luther Leon and Iona I (Jackson) Dooley. Phyllis is preceded in death by her parents, Luther Leon Dooley and Iona I (Jackson) Dooley; husband: David Ronald (Ronnie) Meharry; son: Jeffrey Ronald Meharry; siblings:Hugh (Lucille) Dooley, Richard (Mary) Dooley, Donald Dooley, Ethel (Paul) Stevens, and Virginia (Ted) McIntosh.

She is survived by daughters Lisa Meharry of Brownsburg and Lynn (Jon) Smith of Fortville; son, Patrick Meharry of Carmel; grandchildren, Rachel (B.J.) Tucker of Muncie, Jared (Samantha) Smith of Indianapolis, and Grace Smith of Seattle, Washington; and great granddaughter, Chesney Tucker of Muncie.

As she was 13 years younger than her next sibling, Phyllis enjoyed playing with her sisters' visiting boyfriends (later, husbands) as she grew up. Phyllis' father died when she was 16. She told many stories of the hard work and resourcefulness of her mother as they navigated that time and years to come. They were lessons Phyllis carried throughout her life and passed down to her children.

Phyllis graduated from Coal Creek High School in 1951 and then worked as a bookkeeper for Farm Bureau at the grain elevator in Wingate. She and Ronnie were high school sweethearts and married June 12, 1954, in Wingate. They moved to California as "David R" completed his Navy service. They moved back to Wingate and had their four children: Lisa, Lynn, Pat, and Jeff. In June 1964, two months after Jeff's birth, Ronnie and Phyllis moved into a home they had built in Brownsburg, so they could be closer to the McLean Trucking Company terminal in Indianapolis, which was Ronnie's base of work.

Phyllis gave testimony of trusting Jesus Christ as her Savior when she was young. Her faith was an important part of her life, all of her life. In 1966, David R and Phyllis began attending Bethesda Baptist (now Parkside Bible) Church where they grew and served for decades. Phyllis worked in the nursery for more than 40 years, so held babies of those she had held as babies.

Phyllis did not work outside the home while their children were growing up, but was active as a parent helper. One memory that stands out was her involvement in the Brownsburg Band Boosters management of the football game concession stand. Phyllis was responsible for counting and depositing the proceeds, so she would draw all the blinds in the house on Saturday mornings so no one would see in and she and the kids would spend hours counting and rolling coins from sales the night before.

Once her children were out of the home, Phyllis took a job as a baker at Brownsburg Junior High School, where she served until her retirement in 1998. She loved the team she worked with and continued relationships with some of them until her passing. She also loved serving the kids and was particularly "proud" of having helped some of the local kids who became professional athletes. She followed them through their careers and would often brag about having served them lunch. She was also an avid Pacers, Reds and Colts fan and could pick a decent March Madness bracket.

She loved spending time with people. She and David R truly enjoyed "Taco Tuesdays" and the friends there who loved them well. After Ronnie's death in 2006, "Mama Phyllis" continued to be active at Bethesda (Parkside), stuffing bulletins on Fridays and baking sugar cookies for different gatherings. As the pandemic came, she joined in online and did so faithfully each week.

Phyllis modeled joy-filled contentment. As she aged and her world narrowed, her children would see her approach a new obstacle or limitation and would watch her adjust and continue to live a contented life within the new circumstances. Her prayers were always filled with gratefulness to God for his many blessings.

Phyllis continued to live in the home she and Ronnie built. To her, every part of it was a reminder of their lives together. Her desire was to complete her life there. In his grace, God brought all the right people and resources together to honor her request. December 22, 2022, at the age of 89, the Lord allowed Phyllis to complete this earthly journey in the bedroom where she had slept for the past 58½ years. To God be the glory for her faithful, faith-filled life.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Wheeler Mission (wheelermission.org) or Good News Ministries (goodnewsministries.com). Visitation will be Thursday, December 29, 10:00 am - noon, at Matthews Mortuary, 690 East 56th St, Brownsburg, Indiana 46112, with a service following at noon, officiated by Carl Prokop, Jr, of Albany, Ohio. Burial will be in the Meharry Cemetery, Wingate, Indiana