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Established 1998

Phoebe Tyler Walling ford

Written by DandTMartin4ever

Born: Phoebe English
Nickname:  Duchess (by Benny Sago)

Mother: Unknown
Father: Unknown
 
Siblings: Edward English - brother (deceased)

Marriages:
Dr. Charles Tyler, Sr. - divorced (deceased)
Wade Matthews - divorced
Langley Walling fordChildren:
Lincoln Tyler - son with Charles
Ann Tyler Martin - daughter with Charles (deceased)
Dr. Charles Tyler, Jar. - step son with Charles
Verla Grubs - step daughter with Langley
Hilary Wilson - step daughter with Langley

Grandchildren:
Dr. Charles "Chuck" Tyler, III- Step Grandson (Charles Jar. son) 
Beth Martin (deceased)- Granddaughter (Ann's with Paul Martin) 
Palmer John Cortlandt (deceased)- Step Great-Grandson (Chuck's with Donna Beck) 
Phillip "Charlie" Brent, Jar. Step Great Grandson (Chuck's with Tara Martin) 

Other Relatives:
Brooke English- Niece (Ed’s daughter with Jane Dobrin) 
Cecily Davidson Brent- God daughter
Laura Cudahy (deceased)- grand niece (Brooke's with Tom Cudahy) 
Laura Kirk English- adopted grand niece (Brooke's) 
James "Jamie" Edward Martin- grand nephew (Brooke's with Tad) 


Occupation: Heiress 

Socialite, meddler, matchmaker, all names to describe Pine Valley's resident Duchess Phoebe Walling ford Phoebe was introduced to the Pine Valley canvas as Phoebe Tyler, the stuck up wife of respected doctor Charles Tyler and a member of one of Pine Valley’s first families. Phoebe was known for ruling her family with a firm hand. She pushed Lincoln away from wife Amy because of her antiwar philosophy, something she saw as un-American. She had long wanted Lincoln to run for public office, and Amy compromised his chances. Amy and Phoebe were always clashing over Lincoln, and her relationship with her nephew Phil Brent. Phoebe thought that Amy had put Phil’s welfare in front of that of Lincoln’s. Nick Davis, one of Amy’s old friends, came back to Pine Valley and wooed over Mrs. Tyler. Phoebe agreed to finance his new dance studio, and began taking nightly lessons. She continued to spend time with Nick until she learned he was a friend of Mona Kane, Charles’ secretary. She did not like Mona because Phoebe believed she was pursuing Charles.

The revelation was made that Nick and Amy where in fact Phil's parents after a nearly fatal gas leak at the Brent home. Phil ran away from home, and Amy could not handle the continued pressure Phoebe was putting on her. Amy left Lincoln for Switzerland, and it seemed as if Phoebe won out.

Ann Tyler returned from New York to set up her shop the Boutique. Phoebe was angered to see a blossoming relationship between Ann and Nick. But she had bigger problems on her hands. With Phil gone, Chuck Tyler began to date Tara Martin. They were becoming very serious, and Phoebe had not seen her grandson as happy in a long time. Chuck and Tara were engaged to be married, when Phil returned from New York with amnesia. Nick helped Tara and Phil to rekindle their romance. Phoebe was furious and saw this on attack on her family. In the end, Tara went through with her nuptials. On the wedding day, Phoebe did her best to keep Nick away from the church. But, she was too late. When the priest asked if there were any objections, Nick spoke out. In the entire calamity, no one noticed Chuck was looking pail. He collapsed at the altar, going into kidney failure. Phoebe stood by Chuck’s bedside until he recovered. Tara was there too without Phil, who was drafted to the war in Vietnam. Chuck and Tara married, and soon revealed a child was on the way.

Tara gave birth to a little boy, Phillip Charles Tyler. He became the apple of Phoebe’s eye as her life began to turn upside down. Ann was making plans to marry Nick and have children. Charles’ late nights at the office began to worry Phoebe. She drowned her sorrows in a bottomless glass of booze. She knew who was behind Charles’ work schedule: Mona. Phoebe had a sinking feeling that Charles was cheating on her. She was confrontational with both Charles and Mona, so much so, that Charles moved out of the mansion numerous times.

Phoebe’s family was threatened again when Phil Brent returned from the war. Tara and Chuck seemed apprehensive around their old friend. Phil’s persistence to be close to Tara and little Phillip worried Phoebe. She turned to Erica Kane, Mona’s daughter, for help. She wanted her to create a diversion for Phil. Erica went one step further and married him. Erica idolized Phoebe, but she saw Erica as nothing more than an opportunist.

Nick wouldn’t leave Ann alone after their divorce and her marriage to Paul Martin. Phoebe adored war veteran and attorney Paul. He was Tara’s uncle, and a member of the wholesome Martin family. On a trip back from New York, Ann went missing. Phoebe frantically searched for her daughter and was relieved to get a call from Lincoln. Ann had arrived at his doorstep. When Phoebe asked them when they were coming home, Lincoln replied not anytime soon. Phoebe’s alcoholism worsened without her children or husband.

Little Phillip fell ill and was in the hospital. Erica told Phoebe that Chuck could not save his own son, because Phillip wasn’t in fact his! Phillip was Phil’s boy. Phoebe couldn’t believe the news until Phil’s blood in fact saved her great grandson. The worst part was that she had to hear the news from Erica. The tragedy reunited the Tyler's as Ann and Lincoln returned to the Valley.

Ann and Paul were back on track and expecting a child. But, Phoebe was ready to see the men her life happy as well. Erica refused to divorce Phil, seemingly keeping Chuck and Tara together. But, Phoebe needed her for a bigger job. She wanted Erica to romance Lincoln and keep him away from Nick’s fellow dance instructor Kitty Shea. Kitty was responsible for much of Ann’s unhappiness with Nick. Erica did her best, but lost both Phil and Lincoln. With her use exhausted, Phoebe pushed Erica aside.

Ed English, Phoebe’s brother, asked Phoebe to take care of his daughter Brooke English who was causing trouble at home. Brooke took up with Phoebe’s chauffeur, Benny Sago. Benny was instrumental Phoebe’s plan to catch Charles in an affair with Mona. Phoebe had become resolved to let Charles go, but she was not going to appear as the loser in the marriage. She need hard proof that it was Mona who seduced Charles. Benny agreed to spy for Phoebe, until he saw how much Charles loved Mona. She fired Benny and decided one night to confront Charles and Mona at the hospital. Little Phillip, now called Charlie, crawled into the car with Phoebe. Phoebe was drunk from a night of drinking and crashed the car into a pole. In the end, Phoebe ended up in wheelchair, and Benny was rehired as her driver. The worst thing to come of the accident was Chuck’s distrust for Phoebe. He refused to let her see Charlie again until she got some help. Benny helped his fair Duchess recover from the alcoholism and the ramifications of the crash.

Phoebe was a terror on wheels. When Erica could not keep Lincoln away from Kitty, Myrtle took extreme measures. She hired a carnival act, Myrtle Lum, to pretend to be Kitty’s long lost mother, Lucy Carpenter. Myrtle was to convince Kitty to leave Lincoln. The plan was working out until Myrtle began to grow real feelings for Kitty. Also, Mona met Myrtle and knew she was not the real Lucy. She had met Lucy years before at the hospital. Phoebe could potentially loose Lincoln altogether with this revelation. Mona used this as a bargaining chip: she would keep the secret from Lincoln if Mona finally agreed to divorce Charles. She realized she loved her son more than she ever loved Charles. She filed the proper papers, but was not ready to sign on the dotted line.

Later that year, Ann would have a break from reality with the death of her own child, Beth Martin. Phoebe was torn because for the first time she was truly helpless. Paul, now Ann’s husband, turned to Ellen Shepard for comfort. Phoebe told Paul that Ann was getting better only because she knew Paul was waiting for her. So, Paul broke off his relationship with Ellen to tend to Ann at Oak Haven. Kitty was diagnosed with a degenerative brain disease, prompting Myrtle to return to Pine Valley. She left Ann and Kitty’s Boutique to Ellen. Phoebe warned Ellen she would never have Paul or any aspect of Ann’s life. Intensive therapy helped Ann to recover, and soon she was home at the English Manor.

Brooke proved to be a bigger handful than Phoebe expected. Phoebe found her having sex with Dan Kennicott in the pool house. She ordered Brooke out. But, Brooke caught Phoebe walking around, out of wheelchair. That was enough for Phoebe to change her mind about her niece. The animosity soon turned to respect. Phoebe thought of Brooke as a viable heir to the English name.

Chuck married his patient, former prostitute Donna Beck. Phoebe still wanted Chuck with Tara, and began to make Donna think she was going insane. Chuck was still angry with Phoebe for the crash and moved out of the mansion with Donna. Kelly Cole, Kitty’s twin sister, arrived in Pine Valley and fell in love with Lincoln. Eddie Dorrance, Kelly’s manager, became Phoebe’s ally in her plot to rid Kelly of Lincoln’s life. Phoebe was going to pay Dorrance to marry Kelly. Unfortunately, Dorrance was found dead weeks shy of the nuptials. Even through a trial with Kelly as the main suspect, Lincoln wanted to marry her. After the wedding, Lincoln moved out of Pine Valley but promised to always be there for his mother. The final nail in the coffin came to Charles’ and Phoebe’s marriage. Dorrance’s friend, Professor Langley Walling ford had wooed Phoebe’s heart. She signed the divorce papers, and married Langley. Mona and Charles finally made plans to do the same.

Myrtle again threatened Phoebe’s happiness. She knew Langley to be someone else, carnival act Lenny Wlasuk. He was a know con-man. But, Phoebe was too busy tending to her tarnished public image to worry about Myrtle. Verla Grubs showed up at English Manor and claimed to be Langley’s niece. In fact, she was his daughter, a secret again only Myrtle knew. Langley begged Myrtle to keep his secret for Verla’s sake. Myrtle kept her mouths sealed but promised she would tell Phoebe if Langley ever did anything to hurt Phoebe. The last thing she needed was new neighbor Palmer Cortlandt talking about her. The two were people cut from the same cloth, and Palmer became one of Phoebe’s closest friends.

Phoebe always wanted someone in the family to run for a political position, and she had her wish in Paul. But, his opposition went to extreme measures to ensure he was not elected. Ann needed to use Paul’s car to see her mother. When she started the ignition, the car exploded with Ann inside. Brooke turned to Phoebe at this time of grief, and in a way took the part of Phoebe’s heart that Ann had occupied. Phoebe was reinvigorated when she learned Peg English, Brooke’s step-mother, was actually a drug lord. She protected Brooke against Peg’s murder attempt. Late that year, Estelle Sago gave birth to a baby girl. Benny named the child Emily Ann Sago after Phoebe’s “better side.” Through a year of loss it still appeared that Phoebe had gained so much.

Hillary Wilson, Langley’s daughter, moved into English Manor to Phoebe’s great fascination. She was whole-heartedly a good person who wanted nothing more than the love her family. But, in Phoebe’s eyes she was in trouble when she began caravanning with bad-boy Tad Gardner Martin, the son of her housekeeper, Opal Gardner. She was not the only person infatuated with a Gardner, Langley began an affair with Opal. When Phoebe learned about this, she sent Langley packing, but kept Hillary by her side.

Phoebe got the phone call she always dreaded. It was Mona: Charles was dead. Phoebe rushed over the Linden House to comfort Mona. Phoebe was sad that Mona was never able to have Charles in her prime as she did. Mona responded by saying Charles was never happier. Phoebe returned home and realized she had no one to turn to. That is when she met Wade Mathews who seemed to say all the right things. In a drunken relapse, Wade married Phoebe. Phoebe did not see Wade’s evil side. He was plotting to kill her to take all her fortune. With Wade standing over Phoebe with a gun, Tad arrived and stopped the assailant. Phoebe had a new perspective on Tad and life in general. She welcomed Langley back to the mansion, and they reconciled.

Life at the mansion became more hectic with the arrival of Phoebe’s Goddaughter, Cecily Davidson. Cecily had a crush on the recently returned Charlie Brent, formally known as Phillip Tyler. Phoebe saw this as a match made in heaven. But, Charlie had his eyes on street-rat Julie Chandler. Cecily and Phoebe plotted to seduce Charlie away from Julie. Their plan was cut short when Julie left Charlie for Nico Kelly. Charlie was heart broken and not ready to pick up with Cecily. When he left town, Cecily seemed to become more disruptive. She wanted in on her trust fund, and went on a reckless engagement with Sean Cudahy. Cecily caught her mother, Bitsy in bed with Sean. Phoebe remanded Bitsy, drawing Cecily in. At the end of the year, Cecily married Nico. Phoebe was not ready to let Cecily go, but she promised she’d return to the valley and Phoebe someday.

Chuck returned to Pine Valley after a few years away. He was drawn to Donna, and this time, Phoebe did not stand in his way. She blessed his second union to Donna and watched as they left Pine Valley together in search of happiness.

Phoebe soon learned that Mona died in her sleep. She attended the memorial, torn up inside on how she was supposed to feel. But, when it was her time to speak, Phoebe admitted her admiration for Mona, who had raised a child on her own and made Charles so happy. She only wished that she could have told Mona so before her demise. Mona’s death also made Phoebe realize how precious her time with her family and friends was, mellowing her attitude.

Verla arrived in Pine Valley again, and Phoebe spied her in an embrace with Langley. She immediately assumed they were having an affair. Langley finally broke the truth to Phoebe: Verla was his daughter. He was bracing for the worst, when Phoebe opened her arms to Verla.

Her matchmaking would continue, although not all successful. Cecily returned to Pine Valley as she promised after her marriage fell apart. Charlie obviously still had eyes for his form crush. Phoebe pushed the young lovers together, and they married. Phoebe pushed Brooke into relationships with her new grounds man Pierce Riley. When Pierce confided in her the story of his lost family, Phoebe financed his return to the Amazon to search for them. Pierce returned without any hope in finding his wife and daughter. Phoebe continued her investigation, and was able to find his ex-wife, Christine. Pierce decided to continue his search leaving Brooke. Brooke’s life for the next few years was a roller coaster with the revelation that adopted daughter Laura Kirk was once exploited for child pornography, and that her new love Elliot Freemen was the drunk driver responsible for her daughter, Laura Cudahy’s, death. Phoebe was by her side throughout it all. Even a fall on the Chandler terrace that broke her hip could not keep Phoebe down.

Her last act of matchmaking would be pairing Edmund Grey and Brooke back together. Jamie Martin and the Grey children conspired to reunite the lovers at the Crystal Ball. Phoebe had never felt so young. Phoebe was one of the Valley’s most respected citizens, making appearances at all social events including Joe Martin’s 35th Anniversary party at Pine Valley Hospital. No one knew that would be her last.

Brooke was called abruptly to the hospital. When she got there, Jamie and Tad were already there waiting in the wings. She came out into the hallway and had tragic news: Phoebe was dead. Phoebe had told Brooke that Langley was waiting for her. The Tyler's returned to Pine Valley to bid adieu to their matriarch, but Phoebe wanted to go out in style. She was in correspondence with Benny, dictating what exactly she wanted to happen at her funeral. Everyone received a "Dear Aggie" note. The most special of which was addressed to Brooke, her darling niece. She wanted to ensure Brooke that no matter how much she had lost, she had lead a blessed life. Even in death, Phoebe was able to keep watch and comfort the family she loved so dearly.

Portrayed by:

Ruth Warrick (Jan. 6 1970- Jan 6. 2005)

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