Phyllis Cecil May Eastcott
Phyllis Cecil May Eastcott (née Hyde) was a Métis World War II Veteran born on January 17, 1922, in Fisherton (now Fisher Branch), Manitoba. She was the middle child of George Frederick Clifton Hyde and Annie Elizabeth Thomas, coming from a family of 13 children. Demonstrating extraordinary family devotion to country, Phyllis was one of five siblings who served during the Second World War alongside her four brothers—Gerald, Bill, Henry, and Charlie. She enlisted in the Canadian Women’s Army Corps (CWAC), undergoing military training at Camp Shilo and serving in various capacities across Canada—including as a stenographer, bookkeeper, canteen operator, and office administrator in Winnipeg and Fort Osborne. She later worked as a doctor's assistant in Portage la Prairie managing the intake of returning soldiers, where she met her future husband, Wilton ("Slim") Eastcott. Following the war, Phyllis and Slim settled in Rivers, Manitoba, raising their three children: Wilton (George), Leslie, and Richard. She became a master seamstress and quilter, dedicating decades to sewing clothing and quilts for her family as well as overseas orphanages. Veteran Eastcott passed away on November 16, 2020, at the age of 98. She was commemorated through the Métis Veterans Legacy Program with a $20,000 Recognition Payment presented in person by MMF President David Chartrand on February 28, 2020, at the Riverdale Personal Care Home in Rivers, Manitoba.
Recognition Payment Recipients
- Phyllis Cecil May Eastcott Veteran
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