Phyllis Ann Smith

Phyllis Ann (Sjogren) SmithMay 22, 1942 – April 7, 2025

Phyllis Ann (Sjogren) Smith entered the presence of her Savior on April 7, 2025, in St. Petersburg, Florida, surrounded by her family. She had been living with primary progressive aphasia (PPA), a form of dementia.

Phyllis was born on May 22, 1942, in Fairmont, Minnesota, the second of four children to Arvid and Mabel (Swanson) Sjogren. She was raised on the family farm near Trimont, Minnesota.  After graduating from Tri-Mont High School in 1960, she went on to study at Bethel College and Mankato State University, earning her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. It was during the Bethel years that she met Robert (Bob) Mathews Smith.

Phyllis and Bob were married on June 18, 1965, at Trimont Covenant Church. They began their life together in St. Paul, Minnesota, and in 1984 moved to St. Petersburg, Florida. Phyllis enjoyed a long career in elementary education, teaching on and off for over 50 years. Alongside teaching, she served faithfully in ministries such as Young Life, Bible Study Fellowship, Vacation Bible School, and in the church nursery at Faith Covenant Church, which has been their church home for forty years. 

Phyllis lived life with joy and enthusiasm. She loved beach runs, sailing, and family ski trips, embracing both adventure and togetherness. A lifelong sports fan, she especially cherished watching her daughters and grandchildren compete — her voice could be heard loud and clear as she cheered from the bleachers. In her youth, she was a baton twirler, head majorette, cheerleader, and homecoming queen. She also played the clarinet and was an avid reader throughout her life, nurturing a curious mind and a gracious spirit that touched all who knew her.

Phyllis was faithful in prayer, a thoughtful student of God’s Word, a careful listener, and a quiet servant. Her warm smile made people feel welcomed and loved. Above all, her greatest joy and calling was being a wife, mother, and grandmother — affectionately known as Mormor. She loved her family deeply and prayed for them continually.

Even as Phyllis’ strength declined, she delighted in God’s Word and clung to His promises. In suffering, her hope in the Lord remained unshaken and even at the end of her life she would sing the Doxology with her loved ones. Her family rejoices in the sure and living hope of resurrection through Jesus Christ.

Phyllis is survived by her beloved husband of nearly 60 years, Robert Mathews Smith; her daughters, Heidi (Jonathan) Eliason and Lisa (David) Wicklund; and her grandchildren: Ella, Will, Andrew Eliason, and Katie (Nolan) Kouba, Kristina, and Sarah Wicklund. She is also survived by her siblings Carl (Barb) Sjogren, Gloria (Gene) Brunzell, and Dennis (Roxanne) Sjogren, and by much-loved in-laws, nieces, nephews, and dear friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Arvid and Mabel Sjogren.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, April 25, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. at Faith Covenant Church, 150 62nd Ave NE, St. Petersburg, FL 33702.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Faith Covenant Church Congregational Care and Benevolent Fund.

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”— 2 Corinthians 4:16–18