Phoebe Isabella Pettigrew

Obituary

Update 11 Apr 2026: A livestream of Phoebe’s service is available. Watch here: https://evt.live/light-and-life-of-phoebe

If you ever met Phoebe, you'd remember her. She was the kind of person who walked into a room and made everyone feel seen — bright, spirited, a mercurial yet deeply caring Aquarius.

Phoebe spent her earliest years in Crows Nest / Wollstonecraft before moving to Brisbane with her mum Elise, starting at Sandgate Primary and living with her Nan and Pop Loxton and Aunt Kylie. Before Elise passed, her father Dirk moved from the Barossa with business partner Jennifer to Clontarf Beach — relocating to reunite and accept the baton. Over time, Jenn relieved Dirk as single dad to raise the little family by the Shorncliffe and Redcliffe seaside.

Phoebe grew up surrounded by love — her dad Dirk, mum Elise, Jenn, big brother Kyle, Nan and Pop Loxton, Gran Marjorie "heart of my heart" and Granda Bill Pettigrew, Aunty Sarah, Uncle Willie and family back in Sydney. She and Kyle shared the bond only siblings know — always up for games in the yard, a cubby in the lounge, or racing to pick a punnet of fresh strawberries.

Phoebe was just eleven when she lost her mum. She always said Elise was the most beautiful person in the world — and as she grew, those who loved her watched her come to recognise that same beauty in herself. To her dad, she was simply "Peebs".

Educated at St John Fisher College, Phoebe was drawn to caring for others from an early age. She began her nursing traineeship through TAFE Queensland and started at Anglicare's Symes Grove at just sixteen. She juggled two casual food service jobs with aplomb — working the floor at a busy Thai restaurant at Scarborough and scooping sundaes as Assistant Manager at Baskin Robbins Clontarf Beach — bringing her trademark zippity-doo-dah energy to every role. She became a Patient Care Nurse Assistant, supporting people with complex needs with companionship that doesn't come from a textbook.

Her appetite for knowledge led her through multiple pathways — nursing at the University of the Sunshine Coast, an offer at Australian Catholic University, and Health Science (Naturopathy) at Torrens University. She was always reaching forward.

In Michael, Phoebe found a man who fell as hard for her as she did for him, opening doors to the life they were building. When Michael passed on 5 December 2025, Phoebe carried that loss heavily — yet with quiet resolve began to face a new chapter. That she followed him 100 days later is a tragedy those who loved them will carry for a long time.

Deeply loved and profoundly missed by her father Dirk, brother Kyle, Jenn, Gran Marjorie, Aunty Sarah, Uncle Willie and family, and all who knew her. Reunited now with her beloved mum Elise, Granda Bill, and Michael — the kinfolk who helped her light shine brightest on this earth.

Rest peacefully, Peebs. 🕊️