Phyllis A. Brostrom

Phyllis A. Brostrom, age 81 of Long Beach, MS, passed away from coronary artery disease, on March 21, 2026.

Phyllis was born in Jacksonville, Florida to Francis O. Brostrom, Sr. and Carmen Alicia Clifford. She moved from the Jacksonville area at 15 and ended up in Athens, GA. Phyllis later married Olaf J. Couch, Sr in 1964, where they raised their 3 children until their divorce in 1974. During this time, she pursued her love of nursing and attained her LPN degree.

She then married Jack Hanzely and moved from Georgia to Chicago, IL. A job transfer took them to Gaithersburg, MD in 1977, where sadly, Jack passed away from a massive heart attack only 6 weeks later. Phyllis remained in Maryland while her children pursued their own paths. She started a career in banking by starting out as a teller. She then met and married her soul mate, Tom Donaldson, who succumbed to colon cancer 4 years later, in 1993.

In 2000, Phyllis retired from Sandy Springs National Bank in Maryland and moved to Long Beach, MS to be near her daughter. She obtained work at Hancock Bank in Loan Operations, and retired from there at age 70, in 2014.

Her greatest loves in life were reading and her cats. Even as a child, family would say that you could usually find Phyllis with her nose in a book. She always had multiple cats as they had a way of finding her. They provided her with great comfort, joy, and companionship throughout her life. Phyllis had a big heart and would help animals and people in any way that she could.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Carmen Alicia Clifford Brostrom; father, Francis O. Brostrom, Sr.; husbands, Olaf Joe Couch, Sr., Jack Hanzely, and Tom Donaldson; brother John R. Brostrom; nephew, Kenneth Brostrom; and stepchildren, Linda Molinaro, Jim Hanzely, Kathy Hanzely, and Kenneth Hanzely.

Phyllis is survived by her children, Aundrea K Couch-Crowley (Charles), Jon Clifford Couch (Kristi), and Olaf Joe Couch, Jr.; stepchildren, Mike Hanzely, Patty Hanzely, and John Hanzely; siblings, Francis O. Brostrom, Jr., Walter N. Brostrom, and Ginger L. Brostrom; grandchildren, Sarah L. Layton, Jason R. Couch (Michelle), Brandon C Crowley (Jamie), and Tammey Molinaro; great grandchildren, Killian Layton, Gemma Layton, Stella Couch, and Sydney Couch; cats, Smokey, Patches, Grace, and Molly; and nephews, Keith Brostrom, Kelly Brostrom, Christopher Brostrom, Gwen Brostrom, and Matthew Brostrom.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a contribution to a charity of your choice.

A celebration of Ms. Phyllis’s life will be held on Monday, April 13, 2026, at Riemann Family Funeral Home, 19130 Commission Road, Long Beach, MS. Visitation will begin at 9:00 AM, with the service starting at 10:00 AM.

Riemann Family Funeral Home, Long Beach, is honored to serve the family during this difficult time.