Phyllis E. Behnke

Phyllis E. Behnke, 83, of Sandusky, Ohio passed away peacefully Friday, September 13, 2024.

Phyllis was born at home on July 16, 1941, in Wayne County, Ohio and was the daughter of Gerald E. Campbell and Thelma (Lytle) Campbell. She married Richard “Dick” Behnke on July 15, 1978, at the Smithville United Methodist Church, Smithville, Ohio.

She graduated from Wooster High School in 1959 and remained very close with many of her classmates. Phyllis graduated from Muskingum College in 1963 and moved to Sandusky the same year. She taught for nineteen years at Osborne Elementary and then eleven years at Venice Heights. Phyllis was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, an honorary teacher’s organization, and the Ohio Retired Teachers Association. She was a former member of the National Teacher’s Association and Ohio Teacher’s Association.

Phyllis did extensive traveling, visiting fourteen countries. After marrying, she and Dick continued to do a lot of traveling. They especially enjoyed visiting historical places, visiting over twenty-five homes of U.S. Presidents. Phyllis loved to travel, read, and do genealogical research, tracing her family roots back to one of the first families of Ashland County.

She is survived by her husband, Dick; her brother and sister-in-law, Bernerd and Susan (Sprunger) Campbell; seven nieces and nephews, Bryan (Susan) Campbell, Mark (Kelly) Campbell, Debbie (Dr. Scott) Van Aman, Dr. Nathaniel (Melody) Parker, Rachael Parker, Joel Behnke, and Matt Behnke; her great nieces and great nephews; Charlie and Jack Van Aman; Maggie and Sydney Campbell, and Jake Parker.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Gerald and Thelma Campbell; grandparents, Earl and Ethel (Snyder) Campbell, and Alvin and Anna (Dilgard) Lytle.

Visiting hours will be from 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm, Thursday, September 19, 2024, in the Pfeil Funeral Home, Sandusky Chapel, 617 Columbus Avenue, Sandusky. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 am on Friday, September 20, 2024, in the funeral home. Rev. Dane K. Meuschke will officiate. Burial will take place at Wooster Cemetery in her beautiful and beloved Wooster, Wayne County, Ohio.

Memorial contributions may be made to Sandusky City Schools Scholarship Fund, c/o Sandusky Board of Education, 407 Decatur Street, Sandusky, Ohio 44870, Stein Hospice Service, 1200 Sycamore Line, Sandusky, Ohio 44870, or to the donor’s favorite charity.

Condolences may be shared with the family at pfeilfuneralhome.com.

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