Phyllis Thelma (Vander Meer) Bent, 98, died peacefully and comfortably on October 16, 2020 in Hudson NH where she has resided with her daughter for the past few years.
She was born in Worcester on September 9, 1922 the daughter of the late John W. Vander Meer and Alice M. (Wiegersma) Vander Meer.
Phyllis is survived by her devoted and loving daughter Melody L. (Bent) Schnepel and her husband Frederick W. Schnepel of Hudson, NH. Beloved grandmother of Fred W. Schnepel, Jr. and his wife Jill of Wendell, NC and Randy John Schnepel of Hudson, NH. Great-grandmother of Nicholas, Jaden, Brendon, Alanna, Nate and Gwen. She was the wife of the late John Watson Bent who died in 1996.
Phyllis has been a lifelong resident of Natick and graduated from Natick High School with the Class of 1940. She and her husband spent several years in Rye, NH upon retirement.
In her earlier career, she was a telephone operator with the New England Telephone Company in Natick and retired after 18 dedicated years as the Cafeteria Manager for the Town of Wellesley School Department at Wellesley High School. Phyllis was a member of the East Natick Methodist Church and was the oldest living member of the Community United Methodist Church before her passing. She was a gifted vocalist and sang in many church choirs, private chorus ensembles and with the Shore Bells in Nova Scotia, Canada where she and John summered every year. She and John also enjoyed traveling in their fifth wheeler throughout the United States but particularly enjoyed their trips to the Canadian Rockies.
Phyllis will be remembered for her kindness and talented voice that she shared with many over the years.
Visitations will be held from 11:00 to 11:45 am on Friday, October 30, 2020 at the Community United Methodist Church, 5 Damon St (corner of Rte. 27 and Damon St), Cochituate Village, Wayland. Her funeral services will begin at 12:00 pm following visitations.
Interment will follow in the family lot in Pine Hill Cemetery in Sherborn.
In lieu of flowers, her family kindly suggests that memorial gifts in Phyllis’s memory may be sent to the Community United Methodist Church or the charity of the donor’s choice.
Masks must be work while in church and social distancing will be observed.