Phyllis Ann Cherrix died on Friday, May 4, 2018 at her Snow Hill home after a long illness. She was attended by her loving family and caregivers whom she loved like family. She was born on April 28, 1947 to Leroy and Ethel Godfrey Cherrix, now deceased. She is predeceased by a cousin Lester D. Shockley who managed her business affairs for many years and also two longtime caregivers, Ms. Harriet Fisher and Ms. Lynette Tindley. She is survived by numerous cousins and great cousins who enjoyed including her in their vacations and holiday plans. In an era when Down Syndrome infants had a life expectancy of approximately 14 years, Phyllis defied statistics and recently celebrated her 71st birthday. She was one of the original students attending the Worcester County Developmental Center in Newark, MD which her mother helped to found in 1972. She attended the center five days a week until her retirement in 2016. She remained in her own home all her life and, after the death of her parents, was lovingly cared for by employees of the WCDC. The family wishes to thank Mr. Jack Ferry, Director, and the many people through the years- nurses, residential and day staff- who helped Phyllis live a long, healthy and productive life. Phyllis was a member of Bates Memorial United Methodist Church in Snow Hill. She had a lifelong love of horses beginning with her life on the horse farm located between Newark and Snow Hill. She was known for her manners, her occasional strong will and her sweet disposition. During her final months of life, Phyllis was under the care of Coastal Hospice. The family wishes to express their gratitude for the loving care of all the hospice employees who interacted with her and a very special thanks to Geordie, who was with her to the end, anticipating Phyllis's needs even when she could not verbalize them. A funeral service will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, May 12, 2018 at Bates Memorial United Methodist Church in Snow Hill. A visitation for family and friends will be held one hour prior to the service. Following the service, the interment will be held in Bates Memorial Cemetery. Donations may be made to Worcester County Developmental Center at PO Box 70, Newark, MD 21841 or to Coastal Hospice at PO Box 1733, Salisbury, MD 21802. Arrangements are in the care of Short Funeral Home in Delmar. Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.shortfh.com.