WILMETTE, Ill. — Phyllis J. Holton,

beloved wife of the late Kenneth Holton, devoted mother of Anne Holton and David Holton, passed away peacefully at home on April 4, Easter Sunday, at the age of 101. Born on December 8, 1919, in Delavan, Ill., to Marjorie and Ernest Mount, Phyllis was an only child.

Her parents moved frequently in her early years, but finally settled in Antioch, Ill., where she went to high school. She then attended the University of Illinois in Champaign, where she joined the Chi Omega sorority and met her future husband, Kenneth Holton. She graduated in 1942 with a degree in education and joined the war effort in the clerical department at Great Lakes Naval Air Station, then taught grades 1-4 at a two-room schoolhouse in Channel Lake.

After the war, she moved to Chicago and married in 1948. When her children were of school age, she returned to teaching and took great joy in every child that passed through her door first in Arlington Heights, then at Joseph Sears School in Kenilworth. She had a passion for helping kids, particularly those who were struggling for whatever reason. This led her to receive a Master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling, after which she became a Learning Disabilities Counselor at Sears and was a fierce advocate for children with learning difficulties.

She and Kenneth retired to Northwest Arkansas in 1982 but Kenneth died in 1983, so she moved back to Wilmette in 1986 to be near her children.

In her long and productive life she lived through the Great Depression and World War II, experienced changes in technology from the radio to the computer, and met every challenge she faced with courage and a smile. She was a smart, strong, fun and feisty woman who was always ready to listen and help those in need. She will be greatly missed by all who had the pleasure of being part of her life.

The family has planned a private burial and a celebration of life will be held when it is safe to gather.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Gravette United Methodist Church, www.gravetteumc.org , or The Lighthouse for the Blind, www.lhblind.org .

For more information contact William H. Scott Funeral Home, 847-251-8200.