The Pine Valley Bulletin

ENGLISH, Phoebe
Portrayed by
: Ruth Warrick (1970-2005)
Family: Ed English (Brother); Lincoln Tyler (Son); Ann Tyler (Daughter); Chuck Tyler (Step-Grandson); Brooke English (Niece)
Marriages: Charles Tyler; Langley Wallingford, Wade Matthews, Langley Wallingford.
 
 

1970: Phoebe Tyler was used to having things being done on her terms. Part of Pine Valley’s founding family, she had the town under her thumb. But slowly, she was loosing control over all the facets of her life. She encouraged grandson Chuck Tyler to pursue Tara Martin. After all, Tara was much better than his current girlfriend, that opportunist Erica Kane. She wanted daughter Anne Tyler to move back to Pine Valley. But most of all, she wanted her son Lincoln Tyler to let go of the liberal hussy he married, Amy Tyler. Phoebe believed Amy’s anti-war politics would compromise Lincoln’s chance at winning political office.
As she manipulated her son, she was loosing her husband. Dr. Charles Tyler was never home. He drowned himself at work. Phoebe knew his secretary, Mona Kane, was to blame. Though Phoebe did not want to admit it, her marriage to Charles had been over for years. Nick Davis was the perfect distraction. Phoebe began spending a lot of time and money at his dance studio.
Phoebe’s affiliation with Nick came to an abrupt halt when she found out he and Amy shared a son, Phil Brent. When Amy and Lincoln’s marriage crumbled, Phoebe thought she had won the battle. She was shocked to learn Lincoln was making plans to leave Pine Valley. Lincoln left for Seattle just as Anne announced her plans to move back to Pine Valley. Though Phoebe was happy to see her daughter back in her home, she was worried about the growing amount of time Anne was spending with Nick.

1971: Phoebe was beaming when Chuck announced his engagement to Tara. She planned the wedding of the year for her grandson. Still, she was concerned about Anne’s relationship with Nick. Her doubts about Nick came to heads at Chucks wedding. He interrupted the minister with news that Phil Brent still loved Tara. Chuck collapsed on kidney failure. Phoebe blamed Nick for Chuck’s condition.
Phoebe took matters into her own hands and turned to Kate Martin for help. Phoebe thought Kate’s attorney son, Paul Martin, was the perfect match for Anne. Kate refused to have anything to do with Phoebe’s ploy to get them together. So, Phoebe turned to Paul himself, who was very interested in Anne.
Though Phoebe believed she knew what was right for her children’s love lives, hers was on the rocks. Charles became colder to her by the day. Phoebe found her happiness in a glass of sherry.

1972: When Phoebe’s plots began to unravel, she turned to the bottle. It seemed to make the days go by faster. Anne had married Nick much to Phoebe’s chagrin. But, Chuck had finally realized his dream of marrying Tara. When Chuck named his son Phillip Charles Tyler, Phoebe was critical of the name choice but proud to have a new Tyler heir.
Paul finally won over Anne’s heart. They were set to be married at the end of the year. Anne also announced that she was with child, Paul’s child.
But Phoebe’s need for the sherry had less to do with her children, and more to do with her husband. Charles no longer loved Phoebe, and did not make very many efforts to hide it. But Phoebe was not going to be defeated. She was never letting Charles go, especially to Mona.

1973: Phoebe could not be happier with Chuck and Anne’s decisions for spouses. She put down the sherry long enough to help Chuck and Tara move into the Tyler Estate.
Phoebe was with Paul when he got word that Anne was admitted to Pine Valley Hospital. Phoebe arrived and saw Nick standing vigil over her daughter. Phoebe shooed him away, remarking the room was only for family. Nick explained they were driving down from New York when they got stuck in a storm. Phoebe wanted to know why Anne would be with Nick when she realized what Nick was insinuating. Before Phoebe could confront her daughter, she was gone. Phoebe turned to Charles, but got an even colder reception.

1974: Phoebe relished Jeff Martin’s fall from grace. It proved to everyone what she always knew: the Kane women were bad news. Charles’ dejection forced Phoebe back to the bottle.
When Anne and Lincoln came home, she was excited to have all of her children under one roof. Anne actually followed her advice to save her marriage to Paul. It was Lincoln Phoebe was worried about again. He had begun a relationship with Kitty Shea, Anne’s new assistant. Kitty was just like Nick: unfit to be a Tyler. She was the focus of Phoebe’s newest plots.

1975: Why Chuck asked Tara for a divorce was beyond Phoebe. She had focused the entire year on keeping Kitty and Lincoln apart. She turned to Claudette Montgomery to seduce Lincoln. But he was not going to be swayed. On Lincoln’s wedding day, Phoebe faked a dizzy spell and fainted. Her last ditch effort just landed her in the hospital and lecture from Charles.

1976: Phoebe confronted Kitty in her jail cell. As she expected, she had shamed her family by being part of a drug ring. To add insult to injury, she was dealing out of Anne’s store. Phoebe’s terror was enough to push Kitty away from Lincoln.
To ensure the separation, Phoebe enlisted Erica’s help. She never liked Erica, but knew she was in a precarious position to help her. Still married to Phil, she gave Tara and Chuck a chance at reconciliation. Kitty was her newest houseguest. Only Erica would be able to dissuade her from trying to make her marriage work. Phoebe was disgusted that she had to ally herself with Erica, but she had no other choice. When Erica left Phil, Phoebe confronted her for ruining her plans. She reminded her that no matter what she did, she would always be the secretary’s daughter and nothing more.
Phoebe took matters into her own hands. She hired an alcoholic Myrtle Lum to impersonate Kitty’s long lost mother, Lucy Carpenter. Though there was animosity at the start, Phoebe had to work fast. Myrtle proved to be an uncooperative partner. She was actually starting to think that Kitty was her daughter.
Phoebe’s mind was all over the place. It made her ripe for manipulation. Her new chauffeur, Benny Sago, got wind of Phoebe’s plot. She promised to keep mum as long as her niece, Brooke English, was permitted to stay at the estate.
Brooke was the least of her concerns. Mona had caught wind of the plot and confronted Phoebe. Afraid that she may finally loose Lincoln, she pleased with Mona to keep her silence. Mona agreed on one condition: Phoebe finally grants Charles his divorce. Phoebe reluctantly acquiesced; but, in the back of her mind she plotted her revenge.

1977: Phoebe was disgusted that Charles had decided to attend Lincoln and Kitty’s wedding ceremony, especially since he was going with Mona Kane. Phoebe decided it was better for her to stay at home. Drinking all morning long, Phoebe was stunned to see Lincoln and Kitty on their way to their honeymoon. Lincoln explained that Kitty wanted Phoebes blessing since she would never have the opportunity to receive one from her mother. Phoebe drunkenly admitted to hiring Myrtle to impersonate Lucy. Phoebe may have been drunk, but she could tell Lincoln was furious, He berated his mother and stormed out of Tyler Estate, promising never to look back.
Phoebe would loose Chuck’s respect too after a drunken car accident critically injured Phillip. Phoebe’s license was revoked. She began to bond with her chauffeur, Benny Sago. Benny began acting as Phoebe’s spy on Charles and Mona’s affair. Phoebe, free of Mona’s blackmail now, threatened to put her name through the mud. But Charles refused to allow Phoebe’s meddling to interfere with their relationship.
Chuck also insisted on dating Donna Beck, a former prostitute he had saved at the hospital. Phoebe tried to driver her away with cash. When that failed, she appeal ed to reason and asked Donna to leave, lest Chuck loose custody of Phillip. Phoebe’s premonitions were right on the money, when Phil and Tara sued and won primary custody.
The death of Anne’s child forced her into a deep depression. Phoebe agreed with Phil that her daughter needed help. She was forced institutionalize Anne. The ordeal brought Lincoln back into her life. They reconciled over Anne’s debilitating condition.
Still, the bottle appeared to be Phoebe’s greatest enemy. After a night of drunk driving, Phil arrested her for driving under the influence. She was sentenced to three weekends in prison. Luckily, Benny offered to keep her company and smuggled in her flask of vodka.
Phoebe tumbled down the Tyler steps and claimed that she could no longer walk. Bound to a wheelchair, Paul was able to commute her sentence.

1978: Phoebe wanted to save her family from themselves. Chuck’s ongoing union with Donna put her in constant contact with Billy Clyde Tuggle. Billy Clyde offered to keep Chuck away from Donna for a price. But every time Donna ran away, Estelle LaTour told Chuck exactly where to find her. Billy Clyde worked to remedy this by marrying Estelle. When Benny got word, he left Tyler Mansion to stop the union.
Phoebe was called to the hospital where Benny lay bandaged after he crashed his motorcycle. He begged Phoebe to tell Estelle that he loved her. Phoebe had begun to see Benny as a member of her family, and was not about to let him make the same mistake that her children were making. A prostitute was a not a fit spouse for her grandson, or her chauffer.
Phoebe was wheeling around the mansion when she heard some strange noises coming from the pool house. She swung open the doors only to find Brooke naked in bed with Dan Kennicott. Phoebe told Brooke her time at Tyler Mansion was over and that she was going home. But, Phoebe was about to be out schemed. Brooke walked in on Phoebe out of her wheelchair. Promising not to tell anyone about her faked paralysis, Brooke was allowed to stay.
Phoebe saw Kitty alive at Lincoln’s home. She barged in and began to chew her out for all the pain she put Lincoln through. Myrtle came in at that moment and revealed the woman she thought to be Kitty was in fact her twin sister, Kelly Cole. Phoebe demanded that Myrtle and Kelly make their way out of Lincoln’s home. Myrtle refused telling Phoebe that he had right to be with whomever he chooses, even if Phoebe did not approve. Phoebe found an unlikely ally in Kelly’s manger, Eddie Dorrance. Eddie was willing to do anything to get a part of Phoebe’s fortune. Phoebe was willing to shell out $50,000 if Eddie simply married and took Kelly out of town. Eddie agreed, and by year’s end they were engaged.
Concerned about her own family’s wellbeing, Phoebe could not be bothered to attend Erica’s latest attempt at fame. Erica called Phoebe with a personal invitation to a party Tempo Magazine was throwing in her honor. When she declined, Erica promised that if she came she would not be disappointed with what she had to offer. Phoebe was intrigued and showed up to the soiree. By threatening to leave early. Phoebe put pressure of Erica to show her cards. Erica could not think of anything except the truth of little Phillip, now Charlie’s, parentage. The news shocked Phoebe. She made a straight line for the bar. At the end of the night, drunker than ever, Phoebe made an announcement for all of Pine Valley to hear: Phil Brent was Charlie’s father!

1979: Phoebe foresaw the breakup of all the Tyler marriages. Though she would not shed any tears for an end to Donna and Chuck’s marriage, she grew concerned about Paul and Anne. Paul was seeing Ellen Shepard, the current proprietor of The Boutique. Phoebe believed Ellen was trying to take over her daughter’s life. Paul defended Ellen to Phoebe and told her he was pursuing a divorce. Phoebe got word that Anne was showing signs of recovery. She begged Paul to hold off on the divorce for the time being.
So as to protect her own married, Phoebe went to join Charles in Rome for a medical conference. When she arrived, she realized Charles was not alone. Mona had accompanied him. Phoebe confronted Mona, calling her an adulterous. Then, she pretended to faint. Charles was unsympathetic. He had grown tired of all of Phoebe’s plots, including her determination to remain married. Charles declared whether Phoebe agreed to a divorce or not, he was going to date Mona.
Back in Pine Valley, a dejected Phoebe found a listening ear in Professor Langley Wallingford. Phoebe did not want their affair to be public so as maintain Charles as the fault of their divorce. But, Eddie had got wind of it. Phoebe had embarrassed Eddie over his failure to marry Kelly. She blackmailed her for his silence.
When Eddie died, Phoebe was one of the many suspects.

1980: Phoebe was in love. She finally agreed to Charles’ divorce. Langley and Phoebe made plans to wed at the Tyler Estate, which remained with Phoebe after the divorce. But, Mona and Charles had made plans to marry the same day. Phoebe hoped that this would persuade Charles to postpone his own nuptials, but he surprised Phoebe when he married Mona even earlier.
At Kelly and Lincoln’s wedding, a drunken Phoebe made a plea for her son to leave Kelly. But, her demands fell on deaf ears. Phoebe was devastated when Lincoln and Kelly decided to leave Pine Valley together.

1981: Tragedy rocked the Tyler home when Anne was killed in a car-bomb explosion meant for Paul. Phoebe blamed herself for pushing Anne and Paul together, and asking her daughter to come over that morning. All the Tylers came together for the funeral.
Phoebe’s brother Edward died of a sudden heart attack. Phoebe opened her home to his widow, Peg English. But, Phoebe began to grow jealous of her blossoming relationship with estranged daughter Brooke. Peg was revealed to be the drug lord Cobra. She took Brooke hostage. Phoebe realized how much Brooke had meant to her after almost loosing her. Brooke admitted she had looked at Phoebe more as a mother over their last few years together.
Phoebe visited Benny the day after Estelle gave birth to a healthy baby girl. Benny named the child Emily Anne Sago after Phoebe’s lost daughter.

1982: Phoebe and Langley’s wedded bliss was plagued by her need for attention. She believed her new maid Opal Gardner was upstaging her. Langley assured her nothing awry, though he secretly began an affair with her.

1983: Phoebe was entertaining neighbor Daisy Cortlandt when startling news shocked her. Daisy let it slip that Palmer could no longer conceive. Donna’s child was not his, but Chuck’s. Livid, Phoebe stormed Cortlandt Manor to find her great grandson, Johnny Cortlandt. She did not want the child to be raised under Donna’s watch.
Phoebe’s revelation about Johnny’s parentage led to a heated argument with Palmer. He promised to ruin Phoebe.
Phoebe had her own domestic problems when a woman claiming to be Langley’s niece, Verla Grubbs, arrived on the English doorstep. What set Phoebe off the most about Verla was her insistence on spending time with Myrtle. Though Phoebe’s had reservations, they disappeared when Verla suddenly left town.

1984: Phoebe was surprised one afternoon when a young woman named Hillary Wilson came looking for Langley. She was his daughter from a past marriage. Hillary had recently lost her mother and had nowhere else to turn. Phoebe welcomed her with open arms. Hillary would soon become very much like Phoebe’s own daughter.
Phoebe disapproved of Hillary’s romance with Tad Martin. She knew about Tad’s reputation as a womanizer and thought Hillary deserved better.
Brooke broke off her marriage to Tom, though she was now pregnant with his daughter, Laura Cudahy. Phoebe wrongfully blamed Donna, who had moved in with Tom after Johnny's death. She threatened to sell her part of the Glamoramma if Donna continued her arrangement with Tom. Donna decided to move out of Brooke and Tom's home, and onto the English Estate grounds with Benny.

1985: When Phoebe got word that Tad had left Dottie Thornton, she worried about Hillary’s welfare. She asked Langley to take Hillary with him on an archeological dig to Arizona. Then, she told Tad that she was in Australia. Phoebe was convinced that Tad would never scrape up enough money for a return plane ticket.
Phoebe disapproved of Benny’s plans to marry Donna. This kept Donna on the English Estate grounds. Donna came to Phoebe when she began having flashbacks of the night of Zach Grayson’s murder. She was convinced that a pocketbook she had seen in Zach’s apartment belonged to someone Phoebe had over. Phoebe realized that the “W” in Donna’s flashback was a “M,” and that the pocketbook belonged to Marian Colby, Zach’s real killer.

1986: In spite of Phoebe’s best efforts to keep them apart, Hillary and Tad reunited. Phoebe became proactive about the situation. She arranged for Tad to start working at the Pine Valley Bank, hoping it would give the misguided man prospects for the future.
Phoebe thought her apprehensions were true when Tad failed to show up to the church the day of his wedding to Hillary. Phoebe tried to comfort Hillary, but she insisted Tad would not just leave her at the altar. It turned out that Tad was being held up at a robbery at the bank. Phoebe agreed to open her home for a small wedding ceremony that night.
Nothing could prepare Phoebe for the devastating news she was about to learn: Charles was dead. She ran to the Linden House to hear from Mona about how it happened. Phoebe berated a visibly fragile Mona. Phoebe believed Charles had worked too hard and for too long and the stress caused his death. Mona knew otherwise, that Charles’ greatest pleasures came from helping others. Lincoln and Chuck returned to be with Phoebe in this trying time.
Con-man Wade Mathews enchanted Phoebe. Phoebe and Langley’s marriage crumbled when she finally learned the truth about his past in the Carnival. Langley had married Phoebe for her money. All the pressure caused Phoebe to turn to the bottle again. Wade preyed on Phoebe’s emotional turmoil. He convinced her that they were in love. They flew to the Caribbean, where Phoebe had a quickie divorce from Langley and an even quicker marriage to Wade.
Wade’s true colors came to light when he proceeded to poison Phoebe. Because of a tip from Tad, Langley caught Wade right before he was going to kill Phoebe. Wade was taken away to prison. Phoebe swore off alcohol once and for all.
Phoebe’s goddaughter, Cecily Davidson, was kicked out of finishing school for bad behavior. Cecily’s mother, Bitsy Davidson, hoped Phoebe could keep her daughter in line. Phoebe also invited Charlie to stay with her while he attended Pine Valley University.

1987: Phoebe realized that she was still in love with Langley. All his years of lying were to protect her. She and Langley remarried in a small ceremony at the Wallingford Estate.
When Brooke met her biological mother, Jane Dobrin, Phoebe worried that she no longer needed her. Brooke admitted that Phoebe was the only mother figure she ever had or wanted.

1989: Phoebe was surprised at Christmas with a very special gift. Chuck surprised his grandmother with a holiday time visit. Chuck realized how much he had missed Pine Valley and decided to move back full time.

1990: When it was apparent that Chuck had fallen in love with Donna again, Phoebe took matters into her own hands. She was ready to offer Donna any sum to leave town before she ruined Chuck’s life again. But even Phoebe’s loudest objections could not keep them apart.

1992: Phoebe grew especially fond on Brooke’s newest beau, Pulitzer Prize winning reporter Edmund Grey. She flirted openly with Edmund, mainly as sign of her approval of their relationship.

1993: Phoebe agreed to help Edmund and Brooke in their investigations into a retirement scam. Edmund posed as Phoebe’s gigolo to make it appear as if she would be interested in investing in a development outside of Pine Valley. The development, Willow Lake Acres, turned out to be nothing but a swamp.

1994: Though Phoebe believed Edmund belonged with Brooke, she reluctantly gave her blessing to his marriage to Maria Santos.

1995: Phoebe went to The Boutique to pick up a dress for the Martin family housewarming when she caught Langley in an embrace with another woman. Phoebe immediately thought Langley was cheating on her. Langley and Myrtle explained to Phoebe that the woman, Verla Grubbs, was Langley’s daughter from his time in the carnival. To everyone’s surprise, Phoebe welcomed Verla into her family with open arms.
Phoebe was happy to see Charlie and Cecily find love with each other. Now, she could focus her matchmaking on Brooke. Phoebe recognized Brooke’s attraction to her guest, Pierce Riley. Pierce was a Pine Valley native who returned from El Salvador a traumatized man. Phoebe opened her Willow Lake Cabin to Pierce for him to stay in while he recovered.

1996: Phoebe got wind of Adam’s plan to seduce Brooke. Phoebe had grown weary of Adam after what he did to Brooke in their first marriage. Brooke admitted that she had feelings for Adam, but she needed to put Jamie’s welfare first.
Phoebe was saddened to not be around her family for the holidays. She was blessed with a phone call from Charlie and Cecily who now lived in Silicon Valley. They were expecting a child.

1997: Phoebe attended a part at Chandler Mansion celebrating the one-year anniversary of Liza and Adam Chandler. She accidentally took a fall on the terrace, fracturing her hip. The doctors gave Phoebe a wheel chair to help with her mobility.

2000: Phoebe and Myrtle reminisced about their past rivalry at the Crystal Ball. Phoebe kept herself occupied by writing the Dear Aggie advice column for Brooke in Tempo Magazine.

2001: It was no secret that Phoebe loved Edmund, and loved Edmund and Brooke together. When she recognized that they had a chance at renewing their relationship, Phoebe took matters into her own hands. With the help of Edmund’s children, Sam and Madelyn Grey, and Jamie, Phoebe arranged for Brooke and Edmund to share a kiss at midnight at the Crystal Ball.

2002: Phoebe made one of her last public appearances at Brooke and Edmund’s wedding. Edmund and Brooke’s marriage proved all to brief when Edmund’s presumed late wife, Maria, was found alive in Las Vegas.

2005: Phoebe made her final social appearance at Joe Martin’s 35th Anniversary party at Pine Valley Hospital. Weary of her declining health, she sent a packet of letters to Benny, one for every person she had loved in her life. They were to be read at her funeral.
The biggest surprise was what she had in store for Jamie. She was the only person who knew of his dream to become a doctor. He was set to inherit the entire English Estate so long as he broke up with Babe Carey. Phoebe blamed Babe for all the pain Jamie had gone through in the last year. JR Chandler, Jamie’s step-brother and Babe’s ex-husband, would serve as executor to her will.