Mary Phyllis (Bittner) Hardenstine, 97, of Bristol, Conn., passed away peacefully at Shady Oaks Assisted Living on Dec. 16. Phyllis was born in Hummels Wharf, Pa., on Nov. 9, 1926, to the late Lee Oliver and Marjorie Elizabeth (Shafer) Bittner.
When she was in her teens, her family moved to Stroudsburg, Pa., where her father found employment. Phyllis graduated from Stroudsburg High School in 1944 with a focus on business curriculum. In November 1945, she married her high school sweetheart, David Hardenstine, Jr., while he was on leave from the U.S. Navy.
Phyllis, Dave and their young daughter, Margie Lee, moved to Bristol in 1951 when Dave took a job as a pressman for Hildreth Press. There, they welcomed their second daughter, Kathy Ellen. Phyllis and Dave spent many summer vacations enjoying the beach and boardwalk in Ocean City, N.J. They were married for 43 years before his passing in 1988.
Phyllis worked as a bookkeeper at several Connecticut businesses before retiring from Edmunds Gages in Farmington, Conn., in 1991. In her retirement years, she enjoyed playing cards and going on senior bus trips with friends. She cherished time spent with her family, especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Phyllis was an avid baseball fan of both the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. She was a longtime congregant of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bristol and a member of the Dorcas Society.
Phyllis is survived by her two daughters, Margie Lee (Robert C.) Greiner of Laurel, Md., and Kathy (William) Golden of Bristol; four grandchildren, Robert D. Greiner (Allison) of Greensboro, N.C., Karen Greiner of Laurel, Md., Daniel Golden of Tampa, Fla., and Thomas Golden of Bristol; three great-grandchildren, Owen, Matthew and Mackenzie Greiner of Greensboro; her sister, Annalee Christman of Lancaster, N.Y.; and several nieces and nephews.
Phyllis’ family would like to extend special thanks and appreciation to the staff at Shady Oaks Assisted Living for the exceptional care given to Phyllis in the final year of her life.
Her family will welcome friends on Saturday, Dec. 30, at 10 a.m. at St. Andrew Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1125 Stafford Avenue, Bristol followed by a memorial service at 11 a.m. Phyllis will be interred with her husband at Stroudsburg Cemetery, Stroudsburg, Pa., at the convenience of her family.
To share an online condolence with her family, please visit Phyllis’ memorial website at www.FunkFuneralHome.com.
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