Obituaries

Sally Phelps Sally Phelps of Santa Paula died on November 4th, 2009. Her family is still shocked at her sudden passing but wants her friends to know she left us gently. Family and friends surrounded her and Clay Phelps acted in his mom’s best interests during the transition.Sally Ann Mayne was born in Detroit, Michigan on January 31,1929. Her family were pioneers in Charlevoix, Michigan, which still has many streets named after her grandparents, Mayne and Ainsley. Her parents John, a lawyer and Hazel Mayne left Michigan during the depression to find jobs in California and, after their arrival, never left our sunny state. She was the youngest of three beautiful sisters, Gwen, Jacquelyn and Sally. The three sisters remained in California and a new generation of Californians continues. Sally recalled her early yeaars as not only happy but filled with fun loving adults. She said her sisters were teenagers when she was born and they spoiled her. Her parents were vibrant and ready for fun. Sally recalled that because she was so young she was a tag-along going with them to “blind-pigs” the illegal bars of the prohibition era. She was told that as a toddler she had a great time there. In school, Sally was active in drama, sports, and public speaking. She did say she was best at “talking in class”. She was often compared to “Shirley Temple”. She took tap dance lessons and loved dancing on the stage. She excelled at school and graduated from Pasadena City College before moving to Sierra Madre where she married and started a family. Sally has 3 sons, Steve, Dan and Clay. She had a beautiful daughter, Cory, who was a carbon copy of Sally. Cory died in a tragic car accident when she was 3 years old. Though Sally always portrayed her positive side she endured real hardship and because of her tenacity and work ethics she survived.Sally said she was the “jack of all trades-master of none” but we know that is not true. She was the ultimate “Public Relations” person. She never missed an opportunity to bring people together for a common goal. Her projects were numerous including the Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce, a docent for the California Oil Museum, a deacon and elder at the Santa Paula Presbyterian Church and the Aviation Museum of Santa Paula. Her love of animals was epic and her empathy for homeless or injured animals was profound. She had been part of many animal rescue missions including catching and spaying homeless cats and preparing them for adoption. Sally also had a love of dolls and miniatures and has a close group of friends that get together. Their latest project was to make dolls for the child victims of AIDS/HIV in Africa. The gathering was planned by Sally and her friend Carol Mailloux and happened to be the morning after Sally’s death. They went ahead with the project and were able to send a box full of these wonderful rag dolls for Project Hope in Sally’s name.The family feels that Sally was most proud of the Aviation Museum of Santa Paula. She along with her husband, Bob Phelps, co-founded the museum with Bruce and Janice Dickenson. The museum now has a permanent home at Santa Paula where fittingly Sally Phelps’, Celebration of Life, will take place on Sunday, November 22nd at 1:30pm.Sally said she loved the quiet early mornings. She made sure she greeted the rising sun and recently said she was thankful for each new day. Her positive energy was legendary and friends say she somehow packed extra hours into the day. She rarely talked about herself. She did however remember to thank people for their friendship. Sally would often ask another person, “How can I help you?” It is impossible to count how many lives Sally touched but if you knew Sally for five minutes you were her friend for life. As Sally would say, “friends are family”. Sally’s evening walking buddies were able to share the full moon with her just a few evenings before she passed away. She was touched by the beauty of the huge moon and was able to tell her friends how much it meant to share the moment.Sally followed her husband, Bob Phelps, in death by 6 months. He was her soul mate and love of her life. She intensely missed him. However, even in her grief she turned to others who had lost someone and offered her support. Sally and Bob had a wonderful life together. They traveled extensively and enjoyed friends and family. A party at their house always meant a great time. Sally and Bob were proud of their contribution as co-founders to the Aviation Museum of Santa Paula and were able to see the new permanent site for the museum. Sally was energetically greeting visitors on First Sunday at the Santa Paula Airport just three days before she died.A quote written by Sally says everything about her philosophy of life:“It is incredible to realize what path you have followed and why you took the direction you did. Life is not easy, but with faith in God and a sense of humor, it is possible to conquer any obstacle”Everyone who knew Sally can still hear the ring of her laughter.The smile she brought all of us will live forever.Please join us for A Celebration of Life for Sally Phelps, Sunday, November 22, 2009, 1:30 pm, Aviation Museum of Santa Paula, Santa Paula Airport, Santa Paula, CA 93060. Website: www.amszp.org. The traditional Santa Paula Pilots Salute fly-by will follow the memorial.Sally Phelps’ family thanks you for your support: Steve Eddy wife Doreen, Dan Eddy wife Jennifer, Clay Phelps wife Judy, daughter, Cory (deceased), Jim Phelps wife Susan, Nancy Tracy husband Gail, Grandchildren: Aaron Eddy wife Jennifer, Van Eddy (deceased), Beverly Nichols, Jennifer Elliott, Megan Wedge, Doug Phelps, Emily Moffitt, Great-grandchildren: Cameron Wedge, Gavin and Paige Elliott , Nephews, Mike and Dick Dewey, Niece Sue Harding, plus hundreds of dear friends.