Phyllis Windham Carpenter of Perry went to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on May 21 after a courageous battle with cancer.  She was preceded in death by her first husband Tommy Purvis, Jr. and parents A.G. and Florie Windham.  Phyllis is survived by her husband Ellis Carpenter of Perry, son Zack Purvis of Perry, brother Martin Windham (Phyllis) of Reynolds, and sister Carlene Capebianco (Joey) of LaGrange.

A constant source of strength in Phyllis’ life was her faith.  She grew up attending the Mt. Olive Free Will Baptist Church in Reynolds where her father pastored.  She later was a member of Fort Valley Methodist Church where her husband Ellis was a pastor.  After retiring from Flint Energies with 39 years of service, Phyllis moved to Perry and joined the Perry Methodist Church.  She held numerous volunteer leadership positions in the church over the years which was just one sign of her commitment to her church family.  She was full of energy and exceptionally resourceful, leading her to be widely known as a person you could count on to get great things done.  She also lent her musical talents to support her church as a choir member and by playing flute and piano.

Phyllis was a two-time graduate of Mercer University with bachelors and masters degrees in business administration.  She achieved these degrees while working full time and raising a young son as a single mother.  Her fierce commitment to personal goals and bettering her family was an inspiration to those around her.

After faith and family, Phyllis’ next greatest love was travel.  Especially in retirement, she travelled the world with family and friends visiting over 30 countries.  Even though her life was cut short by the awful disease of cancer, she lived her life to the fullest and took full advantage of all the opportunities God allowed for her.

Phyllis was a devoted mother, loving wife, caring sister, and constant friend.  She was a force of nature.  Her absence will be widely felt and will provide an enduring reminder of her impact on so many lives.

A celebration of Phyllis’ life will be held on Monday, May 26 at 2pm at Perry Methodist Church.  Visitation will begin one hour prior to the service.  Burial services will be private.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Perry Methodist Church.

McLeighton Funeral Service of Reynolds is in charge of arrangements.