Lexington, Ky.–Phyllis George, a former Miss America and ex-wife of Kentucky Gov. John Y. Brown Jr. died in Lexington after an illness.
John Y. Brown III announced her passing on a Facebook post, saying, “So very, very sad that someone whose light shone so brightly for so long and who was such an engaging and dear friend to so many is no longer with us.
“To me, Phyllis was simply a family member who I loved very much and I am struggling mightily to imagine the world without her beautiful smile and equally beautiful soul.”
Brown, who had been hospitalized at the University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler hospital, was 70.
She died Thursday from complications from a blood disorder she had developed in her mid-30s but had managed for many years, Brown told The Courier Journal Saturday.