Phyllis Hannapel

If you knew Phyllis Hannapel, you knew how special she was. She was a woman cut of the warmest, kindest cloth, who always volunteered her time, her talents and her love. Outgoing and full of life, Phyllis filled a room with her presence and left a lasting impression on everyone she met. Her joy and enthusiasm for life will live on forever in the memories of all who knew and loved her.

The decade of the 1920s was a drastically changing time within America. Women had just gained the right to vote in 1919, and buying on credit was quickly becoming the nation’s favorite new discovery. Meanwhile, in Chicago, Illinois, the dynamics of Harbert and Phyllis (Krumdick) Riggs’s family were also about to change as they anxiously awaited the arrival of their first child. On March 17, 1920, the couple welcomed the birth of their beautiful daughter, Phyllis. She was later joined by her brother, Ralph, who completed the Riggs household.

Phyllis grew up in the quiet suburbs of Chicago, where her parents owned rental properties. However, when her father contracted tuberculosis, the family moved to a warmer climate, settling in California. Phyllis received her education in Chicago area schools. Phyllis’s life took a wonderful turn when she met the love of her life, William Hannapel, and they were happily married in 1940. After saying “I do,” the newlyweds moved to Michigan, settling in Grand Rapids. A few years later, the couple moved to Kalamazoo, and it was here they would raise their three sons, Fred, Bruce and Bill.

It was easy to see that Phyllis derived great joy from caring for her husband and sons. She was active in the lives of her boys and she also created a home that was a place where love and fun was plentiful. Always very social, Phyllis loved to entertain and host parties in her home. Her outgoing, fun-loving spirit made her the life of the party. Phyllis often played the organ or piano for her guests, giving them something to tap their toes to. Phyllis loved music and was so talented that she was often asked to play in public. For a time, she also acted and danced in “the Follies,” a truly thrilling time in her life.

Phyllis led an active life both socially and within her community. She was a member of St. Monica’s Catholic Church and volunteered countless hours with the Borgess Service League. Time with her family was always important, and they spent many summers at their cottage on Gun Lake over the years. For many of Phyllis and Bill’s retirement years, they wintered in Florida, enjoying the sun and sandy beaches. However, for Phyllis – home in Michigan was where her heart was! Those Phyllis leaves behind will consider themselves blessed for having been given such an extraordinary woman to have been touched by.

Phyllis Hannapel, age 92, of Kalamazoo, MI passed away on Tuesday, May 15, 2012, at the Spectrum Hospital in Grand Rapids. Visit with her family and friends and view her life story film on Thursday, May 17, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Life Story Funeral Home, Plainwell; 120 Woodhams Street (685-5881). Phyllis’s family includes her children: Bruce (Debra) Hannapel of Martin, Bill (Marj) Hannapel of Richland; a daughter-in-law, Ann Hannapel-Nolan of Gun Lake; many grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Bill, her brother, Ralph Riggs, and her son, Fred. Please visit Phyllis’ memory page at www.lifestorynet.com, where you may share a memory, upload a photo and sign her online guest book before coming to funeral home.