Phyllis Lillian Tabbert

December 18, 1928 - March 24, 2021

Lafayette- Phyllis Lillian Tabbert, 92, passed away on Wednesday, March 24, 2021 in Lafayette, Louisiana. Phyllis Lillian Tabbert, nee Ketter, lived for ninety-two years an ever loving, ever loyal everything: sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, friend—person. Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, she lived many places, eventually calling Lafayette, Louisiana, and Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin home. She earned a degree from The University of Wisconsin Madison and worked as a registered nurse for 20 years, always the caregiver. A quilter of note, busy conventioneer and a many-times award winner, Phyllis also enjoyed birding and hiking about the Pike Lake Chain outside Lac Du Flambeau, where she loved the foliage and time spent with her family. She was an avid crossword puzzler and widely read. A quietly spiritual Lutheran and a woman of great intelligence, a high grammarian and a writer of great depth, despite a forgone degree in Journalism in order to be hands-on helpful down hospital wards. She was good for a laugh, dark, goofy, or otherwise. She loved Klondkie bars after dinner and once upon a time Olympia beer. These are surely facts, and important enough, though they do little justice. They mislead and misrender. They belie her acute strength, her warrior woman spirit. The truth: Phyllis spent her ninety-two years firstly and firmly without complaint. She cut a resolute figure, a true boot-strapper, a doer, bullish always to make do, always forging on. Self-pity was for the birds. Her final days were no different, her attempt to do for herself what she could no longer do, to help—this was something to admire despite her large frustration: the caregiver given over to others’ care. This was her, Phyllis Lillian Tabbert, nee Ketter. This is how she should and will be remembered by those who loved and adored her, family or otherwise, those so sundry of us out here living under the warm patchwork of her life, fully-lived despite all circumstance. Phyllis is survived by her husband of 68 years, Robert Leland Tabbert; her twin sister, Carol Ave’Lallemant, her children, Lori Marie (nee Tabbert) VerHey and Matthew Garth Tabbert (Vickie); her grandchildren Brooke Elin (nee VerHey Orgeron), (Giovanni), Erin Beth (nee VerHey) Redding (Andrew); Travis Colin VerHey (Dawn), Jaclyn Nicole (Tabbert) Williams (Erik), Mallory Elizabeth Tabbert (Ryan), and great-grandchildren Declan Anthony Orgeron, Holden Nicholas Orgeron, Lucas Charles Redding, and James Leland Williams. She was preceeded in death by; Philip Carl Hugo Ketter (father); Caroline Ketter (mother); Nicholas Charles VerHey (son-in-law) In Lieu of Flowers: Donations can be made a memorial gift in Phyllis’ name to: First Lutheran Church, 301 W Farrel Road, Lafayette, LA 70508 Online obituary and guestbook may be viewed at www.CypressFunerals.com Cypress Funeral Home & Crematory, 206 West Lafayette St., Maurice, LA. 70555, 337-740-3123, is in charge of arrangements.