Phyllis M. Dumont

HYANNIS, MA - Phyllis Marie (Clarkin) Dumont, 89, died April 4, 2014 at Cape Cod Hospital following a brief illness. She and her husband, Lucien E. (Lou) Dumont recently celebrated their 65th Wedding Anniversary; Lou lives in Harwich, MA. Phyllis, the daughter of Margaret (Ford) Clarkin and Peter F. Clarkin, was born in Cambridge, MA on March 23, 1925. The Clarkins established their home in Milford, New Hampshire in the late 1920s. Phyllis attended Milford, NH schools and graduated from Cambridge High and Latin, class of 1942. Phyllis was a 1944 graduate of Leland Powers School of Theatre and Radio, Boston, MA. She became one of radios early women pioneers of broadcasting, beginning her professional career at Radio Station WHEB, Portsmouth, NH., writing and announcing. In 1945, Phyllis joined Radio Station WCOP, Copley Plaza Hotel, Boston. There she met her future husband, Lou Dumont, chief announcer. Phyllis continued her work in a Washington, D.C. Advertising Agency, then headed back to New Hampshire as a copy-writer for WFEA, Manchester, NH. Phyllis and Lou were married in October, 1948. They were among original staff members for Radio Station WIDE, Biddeford-Saco, Maine. A year later, they returned to WHEB and began producing "The Dumonts and Homemaker Harmonies," a husband and wife team morning radio show. Phyllis interviewed many renowned theatre and film stars who appeared at the Ogunquit (Maine) summer playhouse during the years 1949 - 1954. In 1954 they moved to Manchester, NH for more pioneer work, this time: WMUR-TV. In the 1980s, Phyllis began her interviews with collectors of antiques and collectibles. Her early series, "The Fine Art of Collecting" was produced by the National Public Radio Cooperative. Within a year, she began her "Collectible Collectors" broadcasts. Lou and Phyllis moved to Cape Cod in 1987, where Lou began his broadcast work at WFCC-FM. Phyllis also produced programs of her interviews with actress Julie Harris, and film-maker Ken Burns, and Thomas P. "Tip" ONeill for WFCC News. Phyllis became affiliated with Massachusetts Republican leaders and was active in founding the Lower Cape Republican Womens Group in 1989; she was a member of various Cape organizations, including the Harwich Garden Club, Harwich Womans Club, Child and Family Services of Cape Cod, the Thursday Writers Group, and volunteered at the Museum of Natural History. Phyllis and Lou are the parents of Clark P. (Anne) Dumont, Michele G. "Trudy" Dumont, grandparents of Clark P. (Julie) Dumont II and Jason (Jessica) Dumont, and Great-Grandparents of Owen Joseph Dumont and Nora Marie Dumont, and is survived by nieces and nephews. A Funeral Service will be held at Morris, OConnor and Blute Funeral Home in Harwich, Massachusetts on Thursday, April 10th at 1:00 p.m., with viewing hours at 12:30 p.m. There will be a Memorial Mass on Friday, April 11th, at 10:30 a.m., at St. Patricks Catholic Church in Milford, N.H.