Phyllis C. Graves

Phyllis C. Graves, 73, of Cleveland, Ohio, passed away Saturday, May 26, 2018, at 6:45 p.m., after battling an auto-immune disease for 15 years. Phyllis was born in Shelbyville, Kentucky, on December 30, 1944, to Alice Oglesby and Allen Curle. After Allen's death in February 1949, Alice married Aaron McKeithen in 1956. Phyllis attended Cleveland Public Schools and graduated from John Adams High School in 1963. She earned her Bachelor's of Arts degree at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio and later earned her Master's degree in African-American and African Studies from The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Phyllis was proud to have been amongst the first to matriculate through the department of African-American and African Studies at Ohio State. Phyllis worked for The Cleveland Heights Public School System for 29 years teaching U.S. History and African-American History to high school students. She retired in 2002. She changed countless students' lives through her gifted delivery and dynamic teaching style. Phyllis loved to travel the world. She set foot on the continent of Europe. She visited England, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and Russia. She also ventured to the continent of Africa, visiting Ghana. Phyllis also sailed the Caribbean. She married her college sweetheart Kenneth Fowlkes in June of 1968. To this union was born one daughter, Holly Denise Fowlkes. Phyllis married Terreall L. Graves, August 10, 1995. Phyllis was blessed with six additional children: Darren, Shawn (deceased), LaTanya, Kandace, and twins Jasmine & Justin. Phyllis was preceded in death by son, Shawn L. Graves and is survived by her Husband Terreall L. Graves; children: Darren L. Graves of Cleveland, OH; Holly D. Fowlkes of Los Angeles, CA; Kandace L. Graves of Charlotte, NC; twins Jasmine L. Graves-Black (Tammy) of New Orleans; Justin L. Graves (Kandi) of Tuscon, AZ; LaTanya J. Bolden of Clevland, OH; sister Gwendolyn Y. Curle of Diamond Bar, CA; brother Charles Curle (Sharon) of Raleigh, NC and grandchildren: Blake A. Bolden, Jeremiah J. Menefee, Savannah K. Anderson, Liliana L. Graves and Addison D. Graves-Black, as well as a host of brothers and sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews, cousins, family, friends and former students.