Schawalder

Phyllis J. Schawalder, 62, of Portersville died Tuesday evening at her home.

She was born March 15, 1947, in Kittanning and was raised by her loving mother, Irene Rodgers Cannon, and her grandparents, Charles and Catherine Rodgers of Fenelton. Her father was Leo Patrick Cannon. She enjoyed her growing up years surrounded by many loving aunts, uncles and cousins.

A graduate of Butler High School and Butler County Community College, she had been employed in the optical department of the J.C. Penney store at the Clearview Mall and had previously worked for Dr. Frank Genovese, Dr. Steven Hinterberger and Dr. Louis Shapiro.

An active member of St. Christopher at the Lake Catholic Church in Prospect, her involvement included being a lector, a member of the Parish Council, Baptismal Minister and a member of the Ladies Guild and Worship Committee.

Phyllis had formed and facilitated the Butler Breast Cancer Support Group at Butler Memorial Hospital. She had volunteered with the American Cancer Society in the Reach to Recovery Program as a home visitor and as a trainer. She served as the county captain to the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition. She took pride in the insurance laws that were changed and the research money she and members of these organizations fought for and won by letter writing and lobbying in Harrisburg and Washington, D.C.

She was the recipient of the 2001 Woman of Legacy Award from Butler Memorial, the 1994 Volunteer of the Year award from the Butler County Unit of the American Cancer Society, and was honored by the Butler Post Office for her work in getting the Breast Cancer Stamp introduced.

She was a member of the Friday Night Couples Golf group at Stoughton Acres and enjoyed many golf trips with her husband and friends to Myrtle Beach and West Virginia.

Her greatest joy was always her family as they were each so precious to her. Her husband, Robert Schawalder, preceded her in death Dec. 6, 2008.

Surviving are her daughter, Renee Altmire, her son, Eric Stutz, and her granddaughters, Megan and Brittany Altmire, all of Butler; her sister, Kathy Lindt and her husband, Harry, her niece, Raylene Scholz and her husband, Richard, and her nephews, Kyle and Lars Scholz and Craig Lindt, all of Windermere, Fla.; and many close and caring aunts, uncles and cousins, but especially Melinda "Wendy" Barnhart-McClaine and Phillip Eakman, who were such a great support for her.

Also surviving are her stepchildren, Scott and Kathleen Schawalder and Adam and Joy Schawalder; and step-grandchildren, Hunter, Conner and Claire Schawalder.

<B>SCHAWALDER </B>— Friends of Phyllis J. Schawalder, who died Tuesday, July 21, 2009, will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at the <B>Geibel Funeral Home</B>, 201 E. Cunningham St. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Christopher at the Lake Catholic Church, 229 N. Franklin St., Prospect. The Rev. Matthew Tosello, pastor, will officiate. Private interment will be at St. John Catholic Cemetery, Coylesville, near Fenelton.The Ladies Guild of St. Christopher Church will recite the rosary at 8:45 p.m. Friday at the church.Memorial contributions may be made to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, 5005 LBJ Freeway, Suite 250, Dallas, TX 75244 or to the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition, 287 Duke St. Ephrata, PA 17522.Information also is available at www.geibelfuneralhome.com.