Obituary of Phyllis B Hall

Phyllis B. Hall, a lifelong resident of Burlington passed away peacefully at her home on Tuesday night, November 20, 2018. She was 69 years old. Phyllis was one of 3 children born to Harriett and Henry Turnquist, Jr.  She grew up in Burlington and was a member of the Burlington High School Class of 1967.  In high school, she played basketball and field hockey and was the Class Secretary.  She went on to earn her Associates Degree in Accounting from the Catherine Gibbs School in Boston.  She worked as a bookkeeper Linnell Company in Needham for over 10 years.  It was  at while working at Linnell in Needham, that she met Nicholas Hall, Jr., who became her beloved husband. After a number of years, she transferred to the Burlington School Department where she worked as a Clerk.  During those years, Phyllis was responsible for scheduling usage in all the schools.

Phyllis embraced life and always looked at the positive and optimistic side of every issue or situation.  She was a person who was always on the go and needed to be productive.  She was a talented seamstress who could sew dresses, quilts, fleece jackets, and almost anything else requiring a needle and thread.  She had an eye for decorating. She was always conscious of keeping true to and enhancing the architectural style and attributes of her home.  She loved to travel.  Over the years, she has taken trips to Iceland, Portugal, Hawaii, the Caribbean and even a bus tour across the Midwest section of the United States to see and appreciate the natural and man-made wonders of the United States including the Grand Canyon and Mount Rushmore.  She always enjoyed going on numerous cruises with family and friends.  She enjoyed skiing as well. In the 1950’s, her parents purchased a modest cottage on Hamilton Beach Quasuet Island Wareham. It was the summer gathering space for all the family. There are so many wonderful memories of time spent as a family laughing and strengthening their family bond.  On some weekends, you were lucky to get a bed and others you were given a lounge chair and a blanket set up in the middle of the kitchen.  When Nick and Phyllis went looking for their own retirement spot they ironically settled on a small cottage 2 doors down from her parents. This became her “Happy Place”, her cottage on the beach in Wareham.  She loved relaxing on her deck, listening to the hummingbirds, and happily watching her children and grandchildren enjoying themselves. 

Phyllis had a great devotion to her family.  She was the devoted daughter to her parents and was always there to help care for and support her mother in her later years.  She was loving and caring sister and sister-in-law.  They were siblings, but also best friends.  She was a loving mother to her 3 children.  She loved them unconditionally and always placed their needs before her own.  She loved being a grandmother to her 3 grandchildren and never could get enough “Nana Time” with them.  She relished their afterschool routine of coming for a snack and chatting about all their classes, activities, and interests.  She was so proud of their achievements and to see the 2 oldest graduate high school and go off to college.  She texted regardless of her limited vision, just so she could keep in touch with her grandchildren regularly.  All her family and friends with remember her for her warmth, independence, outgoing demeanor, and the endless supply of love she bestowed upon them all.

Phyllis was the beloved wife of the late  John “Nick” Hall, Jr.  She was the loving mother of Paul Virgin of Needham, Lisa LaCarbonara of Burlington & the late Jason Virgin.   She was the proud grandmother of Emily, Olivia & Nicholas Virgin.    She was the sister of Claudia Higson of Burlington and Henry Turnquist, III & his wife Susan of Burlington and sister-in-law of the late Gerald Higson.  She was the mother-in-law of Stacy Virgin of Burlington.  Phyllis was also survived by many nieces, nephews, and friends.

Funeral Services will be held at the Edward V Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., BURLINGTON (Exit 34 off Rt. 128/95 Woburn side) on Monday, Nov. 26 at 11 a.m.  Burial to follow in Pine Haven Cemetery, BURLINGTON.  Visiting hours will be held at the funeral home on Sunday, Nov. 25 from 3-6 p.m.  Memorials in Phyllis’s name may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38015 www.stjudge.org    For directions, obituary & online guestbook see www.sullivanfuneralhome.net