May 23, 1925 – December 24, 2025
Phyllis C. Varney, 100, passed away peacefully at home on Christmas Eve 2025, in Huntsville, Alabama, surrounded by her loving family.
Born in Thorntown, Indiana, Phyllis was the youngest of eight children and spent her early childhood on the family farm. A 1943 graduate of Thorntown High School, she married her high school sweetheart, Preston R. Jett. During World War II, she contributed to the war effort by working at the Norden Bombsight plant in Indianapolis.
As an Army wife, in 1948, Phyllis moved to Japan only three years after the war’s end. Her travels also took her to Germany before she settled permanently in Huntsville, Alabama in 1958.
Later in life, Phyllis married Linn Varney. Together, they shared a deep love for the mountains of Ouray, Colorado, where Linn built a summer home that became a centerpiece of her life. It was here that Phyllis flourished as an artist. An accomplished painter, she dedicated her time to capturing the beauty of everyday life and the majestic Colorado Rockies. Her work was celebrated in numerous art shows, earning her multiple awards and a place in the homes of many collectors.
The last surviving member of her generation, Phyllis was preceded in death by her husband, Linn Varney, and her daughters, Mary and Patricia. She is survived by her sons, Preston and Michael; her daughter, Deborah; and a legacy of six grandchildren, Heather, Julia, Micaela, Jacob, Noah and Rita; and six great-grandchildren, Samuel, Clara, Grant, Vance, Eden and June.
Her family will remember her as a traveler, a dedicated artist, and the cherished matriarch of the Varney and Jett families.
Ouray County Plaindealer • 2026
