Phyllis “Fifi” Marie Surman (Linna) was a caring wife, mother, and friend. She died suddenly on September 16th, 2023 at age 77.
She was born to Andrew and Lila (Ahola) Linna on February 16, 1946 in Ontonagon, Michigan. She spent her entire childhood in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, alongside her extended family, until graduating from Ewan High School in 1964.
After high school, she traveled south to explore the Midwest, living in cities such as Detroit, MI; Waukegan, IL; and Kenosha, WI. This is where she met and fell in love with her husband, John Surman. The two married in May of 1975 at the Great Lakes Naval Base Chapel in North Chicago, an occasion they shared with family, friends, and many of John’s shipmates.
Being married to John, a chief in the US Navy, led Phyllis overseas to Morocco first, then Spain, where they celebrated the birth of their daughter Caryn. Upon returning to the US, they spent some time in Georgia before deciding to settle in Kenosha after John’s Navy retirement.
In Kenosha, Phyllis worked at the Great Lakes Naval base as a management assistant for the US Government Public Works Department. Her downtime, however, is what she cherished most, choosing to spend that time with family and friends. She could often be found baking or crafting as well, hobbies she delighted in passing down to her daughter.
Services for Phyllis will be held at Kemper Center Founder’s Hall on Wednesday, November 1st, 2023 at 6:00PM. A visitation with the family will take place at Kemper at 4:00PM until the time of the service. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the family or the Wisconsin Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
