Obituary of Phyllis Mae Dobias

Phyllis Mae Dobias, of Lady Lake, Florida, passed away on April 11, 2022 in Lady Lake. Funeral services will be held August 6th at the Hiers-Baxley Funeral Home in Lady Lake. Internment of her ashes along with those of her beloved husband Don, who passed away seven years ago, will occur separately at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, FL . Phyllis was born in Greenfield, Massachusetts to Robert Adair Babcock and Lucia Elleon Babcock (née Sleeper) on December 30, 1933. She graduated from Greenfield High School in 1952 and married Donald L. Dobias in Greenfield on December 12 of the next year. Immediately following high school graduation, Phyllis began her decades of work as a telephone operator and finally retired from the phone company in 2000. Along the course of raising her family, she took occasional leaves from the phone company to pursue her real passion and purpose as doting mother to four children, all of whom were born in Orlando, Florida where her husband Don was assigned in the Air Force. Phyllis lived with Don and their kids through adventures in Orlando, Bangkok, Thailand, and Dayton, Ohio before the family was able to return to their roots in Greenfield where they lived in their Factory Hollow home for more than 30 years. Phyllis's proudest achievements were her 60-plus-year marriage to Don and earning the title of Grammy and Great Grammy. Her many talents included tireless cheerleading and nurturing of extensive family and countless friends, a highly developed green thumb, cooking and baking enough for several armies, and sewing and knitting baby items and clothing for people and causes far and wide. She is preceded in death by her husband, Don; her granddaughter, Casey Mae Dobias; her son-in-law, Michael Gexler; and her parents and siblings. Phyllis is survived by children Donald Louis Dobias, Jr. (Hope Kelly Dobias), Deborah Louise Anthony (née Dobias), Doreen Lee Gexler (née Dobias), Douglas Lynn Dobias (Jacqueline Camacho Dobias), 10 grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren, one great great grandchild, and scores of nieces and nephews, in-laws, and friends. In lieu of flowers please feel free to donate to the American Cancer Society at their website of cancer.org