Phyllis M. Tacey, age 94, of Orlando, Florida, passed away on October 20, 2020 at her residence. Phyllis was born on October 29, 1925 in Orlando, Florida. Phyllis was a charter member of the Orlando Reformed Presbyterian Church where she served as Sabbath School superintendent for many years, President of the Women's Missionary Society, taught Sabbath School and Vacation Bible School, many times leader of the Tuesday morning Women's Bible Study and she, also, created a church library that included many adult and children's Christian books and videos bought with her own money. She was always encouraging the church children to come check out a book or a video. So much so, that she became known as the Book Woman. After graduating from Florida Southern University in Lakeland, Florida, she was a second and third grade teacher for 33 years in the Orange County School system. Phyllis loved to teach reading and found great joy when the students succeeded in her classroom. Her love of teaching reading and working with children continued in her retirement. She joined the Orange County Retired Educators' Association and became state literacy chairman where she kept track of the volunteer hours for adult literacy tutors throughout the state. She, also, created and maintained along with other retired educators a library for children at Great Oaks Children's Home in Orlando where she used her years of experience as a teacher to be a surrogate at Staffing's for special needs children whose parents could not speak for them. Another great love she had was her work with the Gideon's Auxiliary. Along with others of the organization, Phyllis would go to nursing and other such conventions and pass out Scripture testaments. There are many testimonies of people coming to know the Lord by reading God's Word passed out by the Gideons. But her greatest love, apart from her relationship to her Lord Jesus Christ was her family. She was married to the love of her life, Ren for 44 years. She took great pride and joy in raising her four children and loved being with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. One of our fondest memories is every Christmas she would make cookie dough and let her grandchildren form Christmas cookies and there was never a time where a cookie had too many sprinkles.

She was preceded in death by her parents, William C. and Martha E. McFarland, her twin sister, Marjorie and her husband, Renwick F. Tacey. She is survived by her four children James W. (Grace) Tacey, David R. Tacey, Patricia T. (Robert) Joyner, Marjorie C. Tacey and her grandchildren George Tacey, Heather McFarland (great-grandchildren, Faith & Shane), Mackenzie Tacey, Jeremiah Tacey, Gabriel Tacey, Jason Joyner and Jeremy Joyner.

A Graveside Service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 24, 2020 at Greenwood Cemetery, 1603 Greenwood Street, Orlando, Florida 32801

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Gideon's International for the distribution of Scriptures worldwide.