Phyllis Jane Richmond's Obituary
Phyllis J. Richmond, 73, of Oakland, CA, passed on August 1, 2021. She attended and graduated from Berkeley High School in 1966. Phyllis retired from St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance where she worked in various departments with increasing responsibility and expertise over her professional career. She had a passion for music, from the oldies and classics to modern day spanning across many genres. Her favorite singer above all was Gladys Knight. She accepted Jesus Christ, participated in the choir, Sunday School, and holiday programs when she attended Progressive Baptist Church in Berkeley, CA throughout her early years. Periodically, Phyllis would “dabble” writing music and “peck” on the piano leisurely as an outlet to creatively channel ideas to realization. During her younger years, Phyllis worked at a record store where she met many popular performers during that time. Phyllis sense of fashion was sharp from her signature ponytail to her overall fashion magazine-ready look. She kept up to date on current events and was the go-to person if one wanted to know about breaking news developments. She was a supporter of many charitable causes such as the USCF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland, March of Dimes, St. Jude, and the Salvation Army. Phyllis had sayings such as “Hey, what’s going on?” when greeting family and friends and “That’s all she wrote over here,” when concluding phone conversations. Phyllis leaves to cherish memories her precious mother, Florence Mitchell, whom she lived for; her spunky canine companion, China, family, friends, neighbors, and service providers. Final preparations are being performed by Chapel of the Chimes, Oakland with private final resting afterwards.
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