Beloved stepmother, longtime Claremont Colleges employee

Phyllis Jean Huss, 96, of Boise, Idaho, died peacefully on May 27.

Phyllis was born in Youngstown, Ohio, to Leland and Ruth (Clayton) Blythe on August 28, 1928. She married Robert Kehoe in 1951. That marriage ended in divorce. She married again, to Richard Huss, in 1978.

“Phil,” as she liked to be called, earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Wittenburg University in Springfield, Ohio. She used her degree to obtain a position as an employment representative for the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor. She retired from the University of Michigan after working there for 16 years and relocated to Claremont to be with her new husband, Richard, who had moved there years earlier.

Shortly after arriving, she took a job as the employment manager for the Claremont Colleges, where she worked for 20 years before retiring a second time. She was a Claremont resident for 41 years before moving to Boise in 2019 to be close to her stepson Kerry and his family.

She received many honors and awards; in 1994 she was honored for outstanding performance by the Claremont University Center, and was recognized by the National Council of Negro Women for education empowerment.

In retirement she volunteered with Claremont Unified School District for 17 years, and was named an outstanding community hero for her service.

Throughout her time in Claremont she enjoyed sewing, traveling, and reading on her sun porch.

“She loved University of Michigan football games — go blue!” her family said. “Every year she and her husband would rent a house on the beach for a week and invite family and friends to stay. She was a gracious host and loved inviting guests to lunch. She loved holidays, especially Christmas. There was not a cookie that Phil did not like. Phil loved all animals, but her favorite animals were her cats Tonie, Woodie, Misty, and Kellie. She enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren but especially enjoyed time with her beloved husband, Dick.”

‍She is survived by her brother, Ralph; and niece Jennifer Odom and her family.

“Phil was a wonderful stepmother and was loved dearly by her stepchildren, Jeff and Kerry, and their families,” her family added.

She was preceded in death by her parents, and husband, Richard.

In lieu of gifts, the family asks that donations be made in her name to your nearest SPCA, such as the Inland Valley Humane Society and SPCA at ivhsspca.org.

“The family would like to thank the working staff at Cornerstone Memory Care, in Boise, nurse Amy from First Choice Hospice, and the gracious people at Neptune Society Cremation Services,” her family said. “As per Phil’s wishes there will be no memorial service, and her remains will be scattered on Mount Baldy in San Bernardino County, California.”