Phyllis Ogden Clancy - or Grandma Phyllis as I knew her - always seemed a woman of intelligence, artistic ability, beauty, and refined taste. I first remember staying with Grandma and her husband Ed Clancy in a Neutra-like house on Silver Lake in Los Angeles. She filled her house with Japanese screens and artwork; the house was always interesting to visit. At that time she took lessons in sculpture and was always working on a different clay sculpture which she enjoyed showing and explaining to me. It was fascinating to watch her work and see how she loved the feel of the clay and the process of constructing her pieces, which were quite good and won prizes in shows. Some she had cast in bronze, but most she left as delicate terra cotta-colored clay which always reminds me of her. At that time she made sculptures of my sister Lori and me, and I am proud to have that sculpture to show her great-grandchildren her artistry.
Later, Grandma moved to an apartment in the San Fernando Valley in LA. As before, she decorated that apartment with taste that was always fascinating, and especially enjoyed Asian furniture. I was fortunate enough to visit her often and even stayed with her for a few weeks while I was in college. She worked as a transcriptionist for a doctor at UCLA and loved that job, as she was constantly learning about medicine and dealing with interesting and international patients. Some even brought her jade jewelry from Asia, and that became her favorite precious stone.
Grandma had an impressive curiosity and seemed to apply it in any situation in which she found herself. She was proud that she could be an independent woman and was able to take care of herself. She loved her two sons Fred Cameron (my father) and Rod Cameron deeply and was very sorry that they had grown up in difficult situations because of her own former problems with alcohol and marriage. She spoke fondly of her third husband Ed and missed him. She frequently took me to visit Grandma Ogden and Dale and Edna when they were in the valley, and she often told me of Anna and their travels together. She could have few sweet treats, but each year bought herself a tin of butter cookies for Christmas and relished them – allowing only a privileged few to share a couple with her!
It was harder to visit Grandma after she moved to Albuquerque to be nearer Rod, but she was impressive in her ability to maintain curiosity and a sharp mind in the face of declining health. She was so appreciative of Rod and her grandson Marcus for taking care of her; and she developed an even closer relationship with Diane Pearson Mackey, who was always very good to Grandma.
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