Phyllis Laverne Kornegay

Phyllis LaVerne (Harris) Kornegay was born on December 27, 1948 to the late Jean LaVerne (Thomas) Harris and the late Phillip Junius Harris at Gallenger Hospital (later known as DC General Hospital) in Washington, DC. She departed this earthly life unexpectedly on May 20, 2025. In 1951, Phyllis was blessed with a younger sister, JoAnne. Sadly, their time together was brief, as little JoAnne passed away in 1953. When Phyllis was 8, her mother Jean then married William Harvey Daye. William was a committed, hard-working family man and a pillar of strength. He was a consistent and sole father figure to Phyllis and many other family members. William only recently passed away in March 2024. Phyllis grew up in Washington, DC and was enrolled in DC Public Schools: the former Thomas B. Bryan ES, Lemon G. Hine JHS (now Eliot-Hine JHS) and Eastern HS (formerly Capitol Hill HS). Upon graduating from Eastern in 1966, she briefly attended Howard University then entered the workforce. In 1967, Phyllis began employment with the Federal government at the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare (later renamed the Department of Health and Human Services). Over the years, she also worked for the Government Printing Office, the Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Bar Association, and TeleSec Temporaries. In 1994, Phyllis began working at the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) until her retirement in 2018. Phyllis was married to Johnny Russell Kornegay from 1972 until 1986. Their union produced a daughter, Stacey JoAnne Kornegay. As a child, Phyllis took weekly private piano lessons for several years. She was a young member of East Calvary United Methodist Church, which became Lincoln Park UMC in 1973. In the early 1970s, Phyllis was a member of a bowling league and earned several individual and team trophies. She loved music, specifically smooth jazz and old school R&B. Phyllis was a huge fan of Jeffrey Osborne, After 7, Phyllis Hyman, Candy Dulfer, Maxwell, Eric Benét, Rick Braun, Charlie Wilson and, later, Bruno Mars. She saw many perform live. She was an avid reader, especially biographies and novels by Jackie Collins and Danielle Steele. Phyllis taught her grandson to play card games at an early age. She also loved collecting recipes, attending stage plays and concerts, doing crossword puzzles, online word and trivia games, and attending her grandson's ice hockey games and other endeavors. Phyllis faithfully watched local high school trivia game show "It's Academic" and TV shows and movies about the mob; her favorites were "American Gangster" and "The Sopranos." She loved football and was a die-hard fan of the Washington Commanders for decades! She even occasionally attended the women's DC Divas football games. Phyllis had an extensive collection of purses, changing handbags to match her outfits almost daily. She maintained traditional customs, still preferring to prepare and send handwritten holiday and Thank You cards through the mail. In later years, Phyllis enjoyed watching TikTok videos. She was a joyous follower of local restaurant influencer 'Big Schlim' ("STAMP!"), and maintained a lengthy list of his recommended places to visit. Phyllis was predeceased by her youngest daughter Stacey in December 2022. She leaves to cherish her memory: loyal and devoted daughter Trina D. Parker; responsible, strong-willed grandson Ricardo Kornegay; trusted, unwavering great-aunt Jacqueline D. Childs; special cousins Diana L. Campbell and Barbara A. Dudley; high-spirited goddaughter Deanna Dudley; and a host of other relatives, former coworkers, friends and neighbors. Phyllis loved her family dearly, and her dependability and judicious organizational skills were a great asset to herself and others. She will truly be missed.

Tributes

Phyllis Laverne Kornegay

December 27, 1948 - May 20, 2025