Phyllis Ellen Wuebben

Phyllis Ellen Wuebben, 79, of Fort Mill, South Carolina, passed away on September 11, 2025. Phyllis was born on July 17, 1946, in Paris, Illinois, the third child and first daughter of Bill and Frances Curl. She had seven siblings in all: Tom (deceased), Tony (deceased), Bruce, Steve, Bonnie, Charlie, and Joe.

A student at St. Mary’s Catholic School (K-8) and Paris High School, Phyllis spent her childhood taking care of her younger siblings, particularly Charlie (“Zeek”) and Joe. To say she was her “mommy’s little helper” would be an understatement; Phyllis grew up fast and was a mature and dependable family member far beyond her age. When she wasn’t babysitting the boys (and Bonnie on occasion), she was working the checkout aisle at Curl’s Grocery (their family-owned store), ironing her dad’s shirts in the morning before work, or helping her mom fix dinner.

After graduating from PHS in 1964, Phyllis attended beauty school in the area before moving to Champaign, Illinois, to work fulltime. Hard working and ambitious, she owned her own salon for a time. In 1966, she met Charles (Chuck) Wuebben at a single’s mixer at Holy Cross Catholic Church. The two were married the following year, on November 11, 1967, in Paris. Her brother Tony walked her down the aisle, her dad Bill having passed away months earlier.

Chuck and Phyllis started a family in 1968, having four boys in a seven-year span: John (deceased), Paul (deceased), Michael, and Joseph. By the time her youngest was born, Phyllis had changed careers, selling her salon and becoming a registered nurse. For the next several years, she worked at Mercy Hospital in Urbana, Illinois.

In 1983, the family moved to Anchorage, Alaska, for Chuck’s job, but Phyllis flourished equally in her career. After working as an RN at Humana Hospital, she moved to the newly opened Charter North psychiatric hospital. At Charter North, Phyllis impressed from day one and worked her way up to Head Nurse, completing a bachelor’s degree at Alaska Pacific University in the process.

In 1993, Phyllis and Chuck moved back to Champaign, where she continued to excel as a nurse. She worked in a director’s role at Health Alliance, a medical insurance provider in Urbana, until she retired in her early 60s.

Chuck and Phyllis lived in Oakwood, Illinois, before moving to Fort Mill in 2018. They are survived by their children Mike and Joe and grandchildren Benjamin, Willem, Helena, Reese, and Miles.

Services for Phyllis will be held in Champaign, Illinois, where she and Chuck called home for over 40 years, on November 7 at Holy Cross. In lieu of flowers or gifts, the family requests that any respects be paid by sending a donation to moebiussyndrome.org.