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Subject: Phyllis Brady Bio
Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2002 16:36:35 -0800
From: jed9 <[email protected]>

Phyllis' roommate and I collaborated on Phyllis' biography; she also sent the picture. Please file both under "biographies."

Thanks,
Dorie

Phyllis Ann Brady was born October 31, 1933, in Ames, Iowa, where she started her schooling in a one-room schoolhouse in nearby Perry, Iowa. She joined the Civil Air Patrol in 1950. Sports minded from an early age, she played catcher on the town softball team, and played basketball in high school, leading her team to a state championship.

She enlisted in the Air Force after graduation from high school. She was assigned to Mather AFB, CA, and Selfridge AFB, MI, where she played fast pitch softball on the WAF traveling team. She had her nose broken by an errant ball during the world championship games, but played anyway, her team eventually winning. Her individual efforts in world-wide championships earned her third place in both bowling and tennis.

Phyllis was accepted into Office Candidate School in 1957. Commissioned a Second Lieutenant in June of 1958, she went on to Personnel School at Lackland AFB. She learned to play golf that summer, even winning a golf tournament in August. She was assigned to McChord AFB, where she served as WAF Squadron Commander, Personnel Officer, and Custodian of Base Funds. One of her proudest moments came when she authorized the first check for the McChord golf course.

Phyllis left the Air Force in 1962 and settled in Tacoma, WA, where she was on the Tacoma all-star bowling team for five years. She worked as a purchasing agent for Day's Tailored Clothing for 19 years until they closed after 76 years of business in Tacoma. She then worked part time for several different firms in the area. In 1969, she survived a terrible auto accident, and in 1986 was hit while riding her motorcycle and convalesced a full year. Since then, she wore pins in one leg.

In 1995, Phyllis and long-time friend Lois retired to Arizona, where they owned a trailer in a trailer park near Phoenix. For the last several years, they resided in the park from September to June and spent their summers in the Tacoma area. Phyllis worked as a volunteer in the Home Owners Association Office, handling the golf at the local golf course for the residents of the park. Since she was very busy with other volunteer activities, she was known around the park as "the mayor."

Phyllis passed away on August 17, 2001, in Tacoma, WA. I had a letter from Phyllis dated 4 April 2001, before they left for Tacoma in June. According to a letter from Lois, she was not feeling well on the trip, so she saw a doctor in Tacoma who diagnosed her with brain cancer. Her ashes were scattered in her beloved Washington and in Arizona. I only learned of her death when I sent her some of our OCS reunion pictures (October 2001), which Lois returned to me. Lois supplied me with most of Phyllis' biographical information to be posted to the OCS website with the other fallen classmates. Lois closed her letter with, "I think Officer Candidate Brady, P.A. would be pleased."

Respectfully submitted,
Dorie Dowell

 

1933 - 2001
Photo taken June 2001