April 18, 1946 - November 22, 2020
Phyllis Stenson (nee Lepine) passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 22. She is survived by husband Ed, son Chris, daughter Callie (Pat), beloved grandchildren Shyloh and Violet, brothers Nelson, Peter, Paul, Chris and Quentin and sister Susan.
Phyllis' great passion was the Arts and the impact they had on us as individuals and as a society. For thirty years she stewarded the growth of the Harrison Festival of the Arts into an internationally recognized event while becoming a pioneer in culturally diverse festival programming. Her name, six years after her retirement, is still synonymous with the event.
A tireless worker within her local community she was involved with, among others, the Chamber of Commerce, the Arts Council, the Advisory Planning Commission, Village Council and most recently the board of Agassiz Harrison Community Services.
For her long time involvement in the broader Arts community she was recognized by Folk Alliance International, Canadian Association for Performing Arts and the BC Tourist Council for her contributions.
For many years she served on the University College of the Fraser Valley board of directors including 4 years as chair. The institution recognized her contributions to the community by awarding her an honorary Doctorate of Letters in 2006.
In the words of a friend, "she left everything she touched better for her having been there."
A special thank you to Dr Collins, Jeanette Oostlander and Bal, Christine and team at the Shoppers' Pharmacy.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Harrison Festival Society or an arts organization of your chose. A celebration of Phyllis' life will be held during the summer of 2021.