Living life to its fullest: philanthropist Phyllis Prevost turns 100

Mar. 11—A woman known for her generous philanthropy in Haywood County and boundless spirit, Phyllis Prevost has been a pioneer during life's endeavors.

She defied the gender roles of her generation, from being business owner to getting a pilots license. She's jumped out of planes and crossed paths with a U.S. President and Frank Sinatra. She divorced one husband and outlived two.

And in February, Prevost turned her 100. During her century of life, Prevost has consistently defied age expectations, as well.

At 90 years old she was modeling at Bloomingdale's in Chicago. At 95, she was driving up to the Blue Ridge Parkway weekly to check on the Pisgah Inn, which she still owns. And now, at the age of 100, she does 15 crossword puzzles on any given Sunday — and has a scotch every day at 5 o'clock. She knows her way around an iPhone to boot.

When it comes to her success, Prevost said it's all about attitude.

"Perseverance. Attitude is everything," Prevost said. "I've learned to be tolerant, I think that's important. Just whatever happens to me, I'm gonna take it and enjoy."

Her family and friends threw her a birthday party two weeks ago, filled with cheers and toasts.

"As we gather this evening, we celebrate not just the milestone of a century, but the extraordinary life of Phyllis, a woman whose journey spans the vast tapestry of modern history. Her life, set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing world, stands as a testament to resilience, wisdom, and an unwavering commitment to making a difference," said her grandson Blake Moore, in a speech given at her 100th birthday.

No place like Haywood

Prevost has trotted the globe during her century on earth, from seeing the Eiffel Tower in Paris to the blossoms in Japan. But of all the places she went, there's no place that compares to Haywood County.

"I'm completely relaxed here. I love the climate. I love the people," Prevost said of her adopted home with a smile. "They're so different from people anywhere else, the mountain people. People smile and look at you in the eye and talk to you, I love that. They talk like they've known you forever."

She boasts how self-sufficient and welcoming people in Haywood are. From the moment she set foot in the mountains, she felt at home.

And her first time in Haywood County — doubling as her first time in the mountains — sure was memorable. It was when she fell in love with her proudest possession, the Pisgah Inn.

Prevost was in her 50s when she saw an ad the Wall Street Journal for the Pisgah Inn. Little did she know, the man selling it, Aaron Prevost, would become her future business and marriage partner.

She had been running the Bayshore Hotel in Tampa, Florida and "had nothing to do except play tennis." The ad piqued the interest of both her and her husband at the time, Tom O'Connell.

"Tom and I thought we'd drive up and see it. I'd never been in the mountains before. I was just overwhelmed when I saw it," Prevost recalled. "It was a revelation to me. I thought 'how could I have missed this for so long.'"

She and Tom bought a portion of the Inn, and jointly owned it with Aaron.

Apart from the Inn, still owned by Prevost and run by her son Bruce O'Connell, there were a number of other big footprints she made in her Haywood tracks.

An active philanthropist, Prevost has made significant contributions to charitable causes — Those causes ranged from healthcare projects, Sarge's Animal Rescue Foundation, public schools and the non-profit REACH, a non-profit aiding victims-survivors of domestic violence.

Last April, the new Health Sciences Education Building on the campus of Haywood Community College was named in honor of Prevost for her substantial donations that made the Health Sciences building a reality.

She is also a lifetime trustee on the Haywood Health Foundation board. Since joining the board in 2001, she's donated untold time and dollars to healthcare initiatives, including major capital campaigns, from a new emergency room to hospice. At 100, Prevost still attends the Haywood Health board meetings.

She's also very active when it comes to the Haywood County Schools Foundation. In 2011, she was crowned queen of the third annual Mardi Gras Fundraiser for the Haywood County Schools Foundation, with Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers being her king. The court raised more than $24,000 that year.

Trailblazing woman

During a time when women rarely held central roles in the workforce, let alone academia or higher education, Prevost defied the odds and attended law school.

In her early years, Prevost was on the path to becoming a teacher. College careers for females were limited, and as a woman you either took the course of teacher or nurse, Prevost noted during her 2015 speech at the annual "Women in Business" luncheon hosted by the Haywood Chamber of Commerce.

Then came Pearl Harbor — altering the lives of everyone. War was declared and all the boys dropped out of school to enlist in branches of the armed services. Women began to fill men's places in the workforce.

Prevost dropped out of school and got a job as a payroll clerk in a downtown Detroit hotel. But, her mother urged her to apply to the local law school, hinting that if she was going to find any boys — a successful suitor — they would be in law school or medical school.

"My mother said, 'Phyllis, tomorrow morning you go and register at a medical school or law school,'" Prevost recalled. "And I did."

Prevost was one of three women at her law school — and she found a husband.

She joined the firm of her first husband, Samuel Rubin. He gifted her a robust lavender-painted office with her name etched at the top of the entry door.

"I can't tell you how much self esteem he gave me," Prevost said. "I was just a sheltered young Jewish girl."

Prevost hadn't been born into great wealth. She grew up in Detroit, Michigan where her father owned furniture stores and her mother stayed at home.

"My mother was a very sharp woman, she didn't work," Prevost quipped.

After eloping with a wealthy man 22 years her senior, Prevosts' life took a luxurious turn.

She traveled all around the world, her favorite place being Paris. Her first time in the French haven was during her honeymoon with her first husband, and she's since been there a total of nine times.

"It was my favorite place, Paris," Prevost said. "Just the feeling you get when you're there, it envelops you."

Prevost's adventures were high and wide. She's gone to great heights — literally. She's parachuted and skydived on numerous occasions.

"I went to Saks Fifth Avenue and bought a beautiful leather outfit to wear," Prevost recalled. "Nobody in the family knew I was doing it."

She also is equipped with a Private Pilot License.

"I would dream I was flying down from a high place and I would just drop in gently, and that just inspired me," Prevost said.

Revolving doors and evolving memories

Prevost has long been a contender in the hotel industry. She climbed the stairway to success in the hotel industry, stepping up from that first job as payroll clerk.

Prior to the Pisgah Inn, Prevost ran Bayshore Hotel in Tampa, Florida, and even became an officer of the Florida Hotel Association.

The Tampa hotel was close to the MacDill Air Force Base and when the Cuban Missile Crisis erupted, Prevost contracted with the federal government to house 400 officers and enlisted men in the hotel.

Closing the hotel to civilian guests, the contract with the government lasted for three years, making a substantial profit. Her son even got to tour Kennedy's plane during that time.

Working in the industry, Prevost got acquainted with several famous faces — including the 34th President of the U.S. Dwight D. Eisenhower.

She met Jimmy Hoffa, whose disappearance is a conspiracy, and his girlfriend, along with folks like American evangelist Billy Graham and even her favorite singer, Frank Sinatra.

"I actually met Frank Sinatra backstage," Prevost said. "I had some Italian mafia clients in Detroit and they took me there, they knew him."

Leaving an impact

To this day, Prevost leaves an impact on all those who know her. Notably her "chief of staff," Gilda Wright.

Wright has been with Prevost for five years after she got vertigo and could no longer drive.

"She was still going to check on the Inn every week back then," Wright said.

Prevost had met Wright 18 years ago when she was dating Bruce, Prevost's son.

Wright said stepping in as Prevost's "chief of staff" has been a blessing.

"She's just a very special lady to me," Wright said. "She's just an amazing woman, she's like the sunshine. You never know what to expect from her."

A dear friend, neighbor and travel companion is Teresa Liner, who frequently visits with Prevost and Wright. She met Prevost about 20 years ago at the Laurel Ridge Country Club.

"You can learn a lot from her," Liner said.

Liner has traveled with Prevost to Paris, Chicago, New York City and even accompanied Prevost to model for her niece who has a "Fashion Over 50" website and invited her aunt to model at Bloomingdale's on Michigan Avenue in December, 2014.

"Some older people seem invisible. Phyllis has never been invisible. People gravitate to say hey to her," Liner said. "She's been real spry for her age."

Secret to her success

How can one remain so resilient in the throes of a century?

"I just stay calm mostly," Prevost said, going back to her testament on attitude.

"She also keeps her mind active," Liner added.

An avid reader and puzzle enthusiast, Prevost has read books all her life and does anywhere from 15 to 20 crossword puzzles on even given Sunday, Wright noted.

"It relaxes me to sit back and get to a puzzle, or read a book, or whatever I'm doing," Prevost said. "I can sit by myself and be happy."

Though, Prevost keeps a robust social circle to this day.

"I love to entertain," Prevost said. "I love to have a party. I had to slow down."

Wright and Liner joked that Prevost's mid-day drink is the secret to her longevity.

"I think I need to start drinking scotch everyday. I think that's the secret to a long life," Wright joked.

And at 100 years old she's still soaking up every minute and living life to the fullest.

"Right now I feel like I'm doing fine and having fun and life is good," Prevost said.