Obituary of Phyllis Bothe Anderson

Phyllis Bothe Anderson, 92, passed away on April 25 in Rancho Santa Margarita, California after a long illness.  Born in Franklin, Ohio, she graduated from the College of Mount Saint Joseph in Cincinnati, with a BS degree in Nutrition.  She met her husband of 64 years, Kenneth, while working as a Dietician at the Purdue University Student Union.  While at a skating party, she noticed that Ken was the best skater at the rink and the rest, they say, was history.  

Phyllis and Ken lived in 9 different cities as his career progressed and she deftly managed each move making lifelong friends along the way.   She was a loving but firm mother of 5 children – teaching by example how to stick up for yourself and the importance of being a capable, reliable volunteer.  She was adventurous, traveling with Ken to exotic countries on several continents.  Phyllis was Ken’s first mate on their many sailboat trips in the Caribbean and on the Great Lakes.  When Ken retired, they took their longest sailboat trip, departing from Chicago, traveling the length of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, passing through the St. Lawrence Seaway, and down the Intracoastal Waterway to their destination and home for the next 26 years, Hilton Head Island.

After raising her children, Phyllis found a new passion, teaching.  She started as a substitute teacher in the school system and then joined Literacy Volunteers of America teaching reading to adult students.   That volunteer commitment eventually became a long career as part of LVA’s national organization.  She served on the national leadership team, helped organize and direct programs in Illinois and the Southeast and conducted “train the tutor” workshops all over the country.  

Phyllis and Ken found in Hilton Head a vibrant social and philanthropic community.  Phyllis played tennis well past 85, enjoyed gourmet dinner groups – where she was famous for her pies, took ski trips with the local ski club and honed her quilting skills with the Palmetto Quilt Guild earning Blue Ribbons in 2004 & 2010!

Phyllis was also an accomplished pianist. She loved playing ragtime and classical music and that shaped her philanthropy in her later years.  Phyllis & Ken helped fundraise for the Hilton Head Orchestra and regularly served as a host family for the Hilton Head International Piano Competition.   As she got to know each of the contestants, she learned how difficult it was for these talented young people to find classical performance opportunities.   That sparked her most passionate cause - The Performing Arts Consortium.   She was involved from the very beginning, served as Board Treasurer and Secretary and helped transform the vision from an idea to a 501(c)3 not for profit organization. 

Phyllis is survived by her two sisters:  Jeanne Riley and Marjorie Tabeling, five children: Susan Welch (Brian), Barbara Carter (Christopher), Nancy Rouse (William), David Anderson (Melissa), Richard Anderson (Emily), nine grandchildren, and four great granddaughters.  Her husband, Kenneth, preceded her in death as well as her parents.  She will be greatly missed by her family, friends and all who appreciated her kind smile and generous nature.

Memorial services will be held on May 31 at 1:30pm at St. Francis by the Sea, Hilton Head with a reception immediately following in the Clubhouse at the Cypress, 20 Ladyslipper Lane, Hilton Head.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to The Performing Arts Consortium, P.O. Box 25507, Hilton Head, and SC 29925.