When I think of Phyllis the word that immediately comes to mind is the Yiddish word "mensch".
Here is the explanation of the word from "The Joys of Yiddish" by Leo Rosten:
Mensch1. An upright, honorable, decent person. "Come on, act like a mensch!"
2. Someone of consequence; someone to admire and emulate; someone of noble
character. "Now there is a real mensch!"
It is hard to convey the special sense of respect, dignity, approbation, that is conveyed by calling someone "a real mensch!"
As a child I often heard it said, "The finest thing you can say about a man is that he is a mensch." Jewish children often hear the admonition: "Behave like a mensch" or "Be a mensch". This use of the word is uniquely Yiddish in its overtones.
To be a mensch has nothing to do with success, wealth, status. The key to being "a real mensch" is nothing less than character: rectitude, dignity, a sense of what is right, responsible, decorous.
Phyllis Roe was indeed a mensch.
Me ke aloha pumehana,
Alice Tucker
Of the many words and phrases that could appropriately describe Phyllis, I'd like to use "tikkun `olam." It's an ancient Hebrew phrase and a basic Jewish concept. It means, "mending the world."
A contemporary definition I found says "the betterment of the world, including the relief of human suffering; the achievement of peace and mutual respect among people, and the protection of the planet itself from destruction."
I think we all try to make the world a little better, but Phyllis had a rare combination of deep spirituality with the practical ability to bring relief and peace and mutual respect to her environment. As an organ donor she gave her body; as the creator--with her husband Michael--of our Hawaii Samaritan Center, as a pastoral counselor and a friend, she lived her life for "tikkun `olam" -- mending the world.