Phyllis met Gary when she and I were History grad students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Gary, a blind English professor, was crossing a busy street. His seeing-eye dog, the Golden Retriever "Spar," was about to lead Gary into traffic. Phyllis, a bystander, jumped into the lane and pulled Gary (and Spar) to safety. And so began the romance.
I spent many evenings with Phyllis and Gary. Phyllis used to say that when I was in Champaign, away from my own home, I could get my "dog fix" by visiting them and Spar.
I went to Phyllis and Gary's wedding, and they came to ours.
Suburban Chicago, June 1989. Phyllis—in the rose bridesmaid's dress—and Gary dance at our wedding.
UPDATE: Here's a tribute published in the Champaign-Urbana newspaper, The News-Gazette.
