Visitation for Phyllis George will be at the Kentucky Castle this weekend
The children of Phyllis George announced Thursday that the Kentucky Castle off U.S. 60 near Versailles will be the site Saturday for visitation services for the former first lady of Kentucky and pioneer in sports broadcasting.
George died May 14 at the University of a Kentucky Medical Center of a blood disorder. She was 70.
Her children, businessman Lincoln Tyler George Brown, and daughter, Pamela Ashley Brown, who is White House correspondent for CNN, said visitation will be held at the Kentucky Castle Saturday from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The Kentucky Castle, at 230 Pisgah Pike, is a boutique hotel and event venue with a restaurant west of Keeneland Race Track.
The children said in an email that “anyone who has known Phyllis, Lincoln or Pamela through the years is welcome to attend.”
They also noted that strict guidelines consistent with COVID-19 restrictions will be followed. Each visitor will be responsible for his or her mask.
A small private service is scheduled for 3 p.m. Monday. It will be available for viewing on the Kentucky Educational Television network at www.KET.org. Milward Funeral Directors is handling the arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, the children ask that donations be made to The Phyllis George Memorial Fund care of Bluegrass Community Foundation. The address is 499 East High Street, Suite 112, Lexington, Ky., 40507, or online at bgcf.givingfuel.com/phyllisgeorge.
Contributions will be directed to “causes most important to Phyllis,” the children said.
In a tribute to their mother, the children said their mother “lived a remarkable life. She gave graciously, shared unselfishly and loved completely.
“We have no doubt she is now watching her family from above, where raindrops will no longer keep falling on her head and her spirit will be shining brightly for eternity.”
The children’s father is former Gov. John Y. Brown Jr., whose marriage to Phyllis George in 1979 strongly boosted his victory that year in the state’s race for governor. They divorced in 1998 but maintained an amicable relationship.
A native of Denton, Texas, her celebrity status started with being named Miss America 1971. In 1975, George joined the cast of CBS Sports’ “The NFL Today.” She co-hosted live pre-game shows before National Football League games, one of the first women to hold such a job.
In 1979 she married businessman Brown, who parlayed Kentucky Fried Chicken into a multimillion-dollar, international restaurant chain She was first lady of Kentucky from 1979 to 1983 and renovated the Governor’s Mansion in Frankfort and promoted Kentucky arts and crafts.
The couple divorced in 1998 but maintained an amicable relationship over the years.
This story was originally published May 21, 2020 at 6:54 PM.
