‘A gracious lady and hostess’

Funeral mass Oct. 23 at Memorial Chapel for Phyllis Mars

Phyllis L. Mars, 87, devoted wife of longtime language instructor, counselor, and Superintendent Emeritus John Mars, died Wednesday (Oct. 17) in Sun City Center, Fla., with her family at her side.

A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2007, at the Culver Academies Memorial Chapel at 10 a.m. EST. Burial will follow at the Culver Masonic Cemetery. A reception with the family will be held at the Legion Memorial Building on the Academies campus following the burial.

“Phyllis Mars was a lovely and caring person to Culver people everywhere, to her family, and especially to John as he assumed more and more demanding responsibilities at Culver,” said Jim Henderson ’52, chairman of The Culver Educational Foundation Board of Trustees. “Theirs was a great love affair. Phyllis and John were respected, admired, and loved by all who knew them for the way, together, they exemplified Culver.”

John Mars came to Culver as a Spanish instructor in 1941, and was joined three years later by his bride. Together, they devoted almost 40 years of their lives to Culver and Culver students, the last six (1976-82) with John Mars serving as superintendent. 

Channing Mitzell of Culver, director of development emeritus, described Phyllis Mars as “a gracious lady and hostess . . . loyal and behind-the-scenes for all those years.”

Joining her husband in Culver in 1944, Phyllis Mars “did everything expected of a loving mother and wife of a successful man.” Channing Mitzell said. “When John was asked to be superintendent, she went along with it, and she was terrific.”

John and Phyllis Mars assumed leadership of the school at a difficult time, and “they brought confidence back,” he said.

Mitzell and his wife, Dorry, had a professional relationship as well as a personal friendship with the couple. “We were not only neighbors, but friends,” Dorry Mitzell said. When the Mitzells’ son, Chap, was confirmed in the Roman Catholic Church, it was the Marses who stood up with the parents.

Phyllis (Lavelli) was born on July 29, 1920 in Somerville, Mass. She graduated from Fisher College of Boston, where she met her husband. She was a member of Epsilon Nu Chapter of Kappa Kappa Kappa and was active in the Marshall County Mental Health Association. She enjoyed cooking, reading, gardening, and being a part of the Culver Academies family.

After John Mars retired in 1982, the couple lived in Culver several years before moving to Florida.

Mrs. Mars is survived by her husband, John of Sun City Center; two sons, Anthony (Kimberly) Mars ’67 of Orlando, Fla., and Dr. J. Peter (Dr. Brennan) Mars ’69 of Boulder, Colo.; two sisters, Doris Duff and Virginia Lovett, both of New Hampshire; and two grandchildren, Dana Mars and Garrett Mars, both of Boulder, Colo.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the John and Phyllis Mars Scholarship fund in care of the Culver Academies. Condolences may be sent to John Mars, 1412 Ingram Drive, Sun City Center, FL 33573.