Phyllis A. Benish

Phyllis A. Benish, 87, passed away on Sunday, October 29, 2023, completing her journey on this earth with dignity and honor. She was born October 26, 1936, in Prairie du Chien, WI to Clarence and Helen (Crane) Nugent. She was raised in a large loving Irish Catholic family where family values were taught at an early age. She married her devoted husband of 67 years, Robert on September 2, 1957, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Seneca, WI. She is survived by her husband Robert; two daughters, Ann Rudel of Sun Prairie, WI and Amy Thurow of Oshkosh, WI; three grandsons, Alex (Jackie) Rudel, Kyle (Caitlin) Gelhar-Thurow and Kevin Thurow; sisters, Mary Thiele of Stoddard and Colleen Nugent of La Crosse; brothers, Dean (Mary) Nugent of Holmen and Owen (Mary) Nugent of Dubuque, IA, along with many nieces and nephews.

Phyllis was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Clair, Bernard and Larry Nugent; sister-in-law, June (Bernard) Nugent; brother-in-law, Dennis Thiele; sister and brother-in-law, Lois and Ladd Flynn; parents-in-law, Louis and Jesse Benish and numerous brothers and sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews.

Phyllis graduated from Seneca High School in 1954, where she excelled academically, graduating as valedictorian of her class. She then started a professional career of nearly forty years in the financial industry, beginning at the Peoples State Bank in Prairie du Chien in 1953 as a proof operator and retiring in 1992 as Vice President of Human Resources for Norwest Bank in La Crosse, now Wells Fargo. During this time, she was active in many local professional organizations, and she also held offices in the National Association of Bank Women organization on the local and state level.

Although her professional career was an important part of her life, the devotion to her family is what those who knew her best will remember. She was a woman of many talents and was always generous in sharing her time and talents with others. She cherished the extensive traveling she and her husband were able to enjoy, both in the United States and Europe, and the many years they enjoyed wintering in Fort Myers, FL. She embraced her Irish heritage and was happy to have had the opportunity to travel to Ireland, the country of her ancestors. Her Irish spirit and grace will be remembered by all who knew her. Other highlights of her many trips abroad was a religious pilgrimage to Italy, which she considered the most spiritually enriching experience of her life. She had a strong devotion to prayer and prayed the rosary daily.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Gundersen Medical Foundation for Oncology Research, or a charity of the donor’s choice.

The family would like to extend their gratitude for the extraordinary care Phyllis received from the staff of Benedictine Living Community of La Crosse, along with Gundersen Health System.

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face;

The rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of his hand.