Phyllis Carmen Hewitt was born on Saturday, July 3rd, 1937 in Keith, St. Ann Jamaica, WI from her parents Ivan Rodway and Miriam Allen.  She was the first child from her mother who later had two other daughters, Joyce, and Lorna.

          During her childhood to mid-teens, she attended Keith Primary School, where back in those days, the age for primary school was from 7 to 16 years old.  During her primary school era, she was known to be very humble, warm, kind, and caring towards others.  Her schoolmates knew her to be a very sophisticated, clean, neath, and well-dressed girl.  Back then, many knew her as Carmen Rodway. She was very much loved by all her teachers to the extent that one particular teacher, while daily passing Phyllis’s home from school, would often stop and comment to Phyllis’s mother as to the wonderful and respectable daughter she had.  Being the oldest daughter, Phyllis acquired a mature and responsible role of helping her mother raising her two sisters while her mother was at work.  As a youngster, she had a passion for keeping a clean and organized house, and needless to say, her younger sisters followed in her footsteps.  Phyllis’s mother was a diehard and dedicated Methodist who was a member of Vaxhaul Methodist Church in St Ann there she christened Phyllis and made sure that all her children learn the reality and significance of serving their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ with an expectation to live, on earth, in peace and to gain entry into Heaven when we die. Phyllis became a sincere and devoted Methodist with Christ always being the center of her daily life.  After graduating from Keith Primary School in the mid 1950s, she later attended St. Hilda’s Girl School where she studied office administration.

         Upon graduating from St. Hilda’s Girls school, she moved to the City of Kingston where she was employed by the Jamaica Board of Supervision, a local governmental entity that is created to relieve the poor, homeless, and distressed Jamaican.  As the older sister who always tried to uplift her younger sisters, she eventually got them jobs at Jamaica Board Of Supervision.  Phyllis moved forward with her career and was later employed by Jamaica Crown Solicitor’s Office, as an administrative clerk.  In Kingston, her two sisters, Joyce, Lorna, and their closest cousin, Dinetta Gager became touring partners and frequently attend various fun filled festivities throughout the late 1950; yes, these young ladies were the original Divas and had a grand time; however, with dignity, respectability, and pride.  Happily, as destined by God, at one of these joyful festivities, Phyllis, with her Coco Cola bottle shaped sexy body, cute face, and charming personality, met a young, respectable, and handsome stallion, Alvin Trevor Hewitt who was an engineer at the time: for them, it was love at first sight.  Then came marriage at Vineyard Town Methodist Church and the birth of their first and only son Everton.  A few years later came their first daughter, Jacqueline and finally their last daughter, Sandra.  Phyllis’s and her husband’s marital relationship was indeed a true love story filled with joy, happiness, and prosperity; a kind of Romeo and Juliette love story: definitely, one to be admired.  They literally emerged into one flesh and one body.  As a mother, she loved, supported, and cared for her children while instilling the importance of education and Christ in their lives.  Christianity to her was a guaranteed way for her and her immediate family to be safe, secured, and successful in life while at the same time guaranteeing that she and her loved ones would someday be reunited in Heaven in their after-life.  Phyllis later went to work for Agriculture Marketing Corporation as an Administrator: while there, she had a personal calling to switch her career into caring for and helping the sick.  With this calling, she eventually enrolled into a Practical Nursing Program at American Red Cross Institute in Kingston.  

     In 1973, by her hopes and plans to elevate her entire family to a higher socioeconomic status and to expose them to greater opportunities as Moses did for the children when he led them to the promise land, Phyllis relocated to Brooklyn, NY, USA.  Two years later in 1975, she brought her husband and children to join her in the US.  And, within a couple years later, she worked diligently to bring her sisters and their families joined her to live in the USA. Also, one of her biggest wishes was to bring her ailing mother to the US to care for her; this she did until her mother passed in Brooklyn, NY.  Phyllis later went to work for the Americana Hotel New York City while at the same time attended Nursing School in Brooklyn.  Upon graduating from nursing school, she was employed as a nurse in the Pediatric Department at Lutheran Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY.  Unfortunately for her, while working at Lutheran Medical Center, for less than two years, she sustained a permanent back injury after lifting a patient; this ended her short career as a nurse as well as leaving her unable to work for the remainder of her life. Throughout her entire residence, in New York, Phyllis and her husband were active members of the Methodist Church and literally attended services every Sunday.

    Phyllis and her husband’s final plans were to retire and relocate to sunny Florida for the remainder of their natural lives, and this they did in March of 2004.  In Florida, they enjoyed the fruits of their labor along with the presence and pleasure of their children, grand-children, great-grand-children, and other relatives.  Sadly, on January 30, 2014, her husband, Alvin Hewitt, the perfect love and soul mate of her life, left her to be with the Lord, and this brought deep sadness in her life.  Nevertheless, she continued to hold on for the purpose of being there for her children and grandchildren knowing that it would be painful for them to live without her, but deep down she wanted to join her husband in paradise with Jesus and the Saints.  In December of 2020, Phyllis suffered a major stroke and knew clearly that her days were about to end; nevertheless, she developed a will and drive in her to make it throughout the Christmas and New Year Celebrations.  With that intuition, she reached out to say farewell to many of her loved ones while at the same time clinging to her profound spiritual belief in Jesus and the Heavenly after life.  Gloriously, on Thursday, January 14, 2021, she was called to reunite with her husband in a place where pain and death shall be no more; to a place where everlasting peace, joy, and happiness shall be eternally.  Interestingly, during the last minutes of her life, the ambulance rushed her to a hospital called Holy Cross where she died: she had never been at that hospital before and was taken there randomly; symbolically, dying at the Holy Cross was indeed her destiny and seems fitting based on the Christian life she lived; Jesus Christ, her Savior, died on the Cross for her sins.  Our love for our Matriarch, Mrs. Phyllis Carmen Hewitt, and her love towards us will continue to live forever.  As she now rests in Blessed Perfect Peace, may God’s perpetual Light shine on her soul until she is awakened, by the trumpet of the Angels to join our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, eternally, in Heaven, the New Jerusalem.

     Left to mourn her death are children Everton, Jackie, Sandra, grandchildren Melika, Christopher, Christina, Jermaine, Khiry, Cherise, Christan, Chrishawn, Kaylon, and Jordan, great grandchildren Jasmine, Camari, Jayden, Josiah, Messai, and Allyah, sister Lorna, nephew Norman, nieces Karen, Nadine, and Tricia, cousins, in-laws, and a multitude of friends.

Private Services will be held on Friday, January 22, 2021.  However, the family is providing a live video stream of the service for family and  friends to attend virtually at 1:00 PM;  This will be LIVE on the Boyd-Panciera Family Funeral Care Facebook page at:

Hover & Click to the Right of the Arrow —> BOYD-PANCIERA FAMILY FUNERAL CARE FACEBOOK

Please note modifications are in place regarding Visitation and Services due to the Coronavirus. Boyd-Panciera is following all local and state guidelines and is taking all the necessary precautions to ensure the safety and health of our families and staff to halt the spread of COVID-19.  Social Distancing and Face Masks are in effect.