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Phyllis Furness

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Phyllis Olwyn "Phyl" Furness (née Ryder; 23 May 1915 – 12 August 2024) was a British-born Irish centenarian who was Ireland's oldest known living resident for almost seven months, from the death of Kitty Jeffery on 17 January 2024 until her own.

Biography[]

Phyllis Furness was born as Phyllis Olwyn Ryder on 23 May 1915 in Newark, Northampton, England. In addition to having three step-sisters, she had an older brother, an older sister, and a much younger sister. Furness attended school in Sleaford and graduated at the age of 14. She had developed a negative relationship with her alcoholic father and so she left home for good, choosing to move in with an older step-sister. A ballroom dancer, Furness competed in and won competitions pertaining to the Viennese waltz.

Phyllis married John Furness in 1940 and they had one child, a son named Michael, who was born in 1942. Furness moved around frequently during her early adulthood, which posed challenges as she found it difficult to maintain friendships. For some time, she settled in Christchurch, Dorset, with her husband.

Furness was employed in various capacities throughout her life. At her first employment, she once had to prepare and cook meals for 150 guests after the original chef quit. She later worked in Bournemouth, England, to manufacture military equipment and bombs during World War II. When residing in Christchurch, she volunteered for the Red Cross and managed a home for senior citizens.

In 1981, Furness and her husband moved to Galway, Ireland. They decided to make the move because Furness's husband was fond of Ireland and had enjoyed fishing trips there. Furness became an active member of Kilcummin Church, where she participated in events hosted by the John Player group. These events included concerts, social gatherings, and monologue and poem recital competitions; Furness won an award in the latter for her recital of "Albert and the Lion".

Furness adjusted well to life in Ireland, using the John Player group as a springboard for socializing and making lasting friendships. She owned a German Shepherd named Panda and regularly took him on walks, admiring nature along the way. In England, she had referred to herself as "Phyllis O. Furness", but stopped using her middle initial once in Ireland, where her surname was being confused as "O'Furness".

Furness's hobbies were highly artistic in nature. In addition to dance and music, she enjoyed drawing, painting, knitting, and crocheting. She finished an oil painting of Queen Elizabeth II in 1973. She created Nativity scenes — a testament to her faith in God — as well as knitted dolls, which won her many contests, including the Mrs. Bridie Stewart Cup when she was 99 years old.

Furness made homemade jam and grew her own vegetables. With the fresh produce available to her, she often made applejack for visitors. Furness also had a lifelong knack for playing the violin and had been a voracious reader since her youth. She tended to her garden in Ireland and took a particular interest in observing the birds that dwell there.

At the age of 104, Furness launched a search for her younger sister, Freda, whom she had not seen in 90 years. Furness was upset to discover that Freda had died in 2013. She blamed disputes within her family for being previously unable to meet with her sister; the last time she had seen her family was when she was 15 years old, meaning Freda was an infant at the time.

Furness's husband died in 1984, and her son Michael died from cancer in 2012. As she grew older, Furness continued to live independently, only moving out of her home shortly before her 107th birthday in 2022. On her 109th birthday in 2024, she expressed her wish to reach her 110th birthday and become a supercentenarian.

Furness died on 12 August 2024 at a nursing home in Oughterard, Galway, Ireland, at the age of 109 years, 81 days.

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Distinctions of Phyllis Furness
Oldest Living Person in Ireland
17 January 2024 — 12 August 2024
Predecessor: Kitty Jeffery
Successor: Ruby Druce
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