Phyllis A. Stallings

Phyllis Anastasia Stallings, 79, of Paragould, Arkansas, passed away on May 6, 2023, from natural causes. Phyllis was born on February 24, 1944, in Paragould to the late Roy and Helen Moseley. She was a 1962 graduate of Paragould High School. After meeting the love of her life and future husband, Paul Harold Stallings, in college, they married on January 22, 1966. Phyllis graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Ouachita Baptist University in 1966, leading to a lifelong passionate career of teaching music to hundreds of thousands of students, including all four of her children and two of her grandchildren. She earned her Master of Arts in Music Education from Arkansas State University in 1971.

Phyllis taught choir, band, and music theory at several schools across the Midwest, including Glenwood Public Schools in Arkansas (1966-1967), DeSoto Public Schools in Missouri (1967-1969), Augusta Public Schools in Arkansas (1971-1982), Independence Christian School in Missouri (1982-1987), Doniphan Region Public School in Missouri (1988-1991), Delaplaine School in Arkansas (1992-1994), and Southland C-9 School in Missouri (1994-2001). In addition to being a full-time teacher, Phyllis taught private piano and voice lessons in her home during the evenings. On the weekends, she was often directing students in musical concerts and recitals, and she would play the organ, sing, and lead music at First Baptist Church in Paragould.

Although suffering from mental deterioration of dementia later in life, the three things aging never took from her were her love for her family, her devout faith in Jesus Christ, and every single lyric to all the songs she taught throughout her dedicated life as a teacher of music. Phyllis is preceded in death by her parents; husband; sister, Rita Moseley Tritch; and infant brother, Robert William Moseley.

Phyllis is survived by her children, Kevin (Lan) Stallings, Mike (Rebecca) Stallings, Natasha (Erik) Young, and Clayton Stallings; grandchildren, Tyler Busby, Harrison Stallings, Lilli Stallings, Kiley Stallings, Hailey Stallings, Hannah Stallings, Haven Young, C.J. Young, and Samantha Young; and one great grandchild on the way.

Please join friends and family in celebrating her life on Saturday, May 13, 2023, 1 PM at Heath Funeral Home. A visitation will precede from 12-1 PM. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in her honor to the Playing for Change Foundation to continue to create positive change through music and arts education or to the Collins Theater in Paragould.