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Obituary
Phyllis (wife of Robert C. Wilson) is survived by her children, Susan Gasparo, Kenneth and Barbara Wilson, Michael and Linda Wilson, and Steven Wilson and Cortney Brandwein, her grandchildren Melissa Gasparo and Adam Conlon, Nicholas and Brittany Gasparo, Jennifer and Robbie Brent, Christina Wilson and Keith Madocks, Matthew and Tania Wilson, Mackenzie Wilson, Jonathan Wilson, Michelle Wilson, Sean Wilson, Eric Wilson and Kerrigan Wilson and her great-children Lily Gasparo, Tyler Gasparo and Emma Brent.
Her grandchildren share the following.
Phyllis Wilson was a one of a kind mother, grandmother & great-grandmother. She loved nothing more than having her whole family over for holidays and filling everyone’s bellies with delicious food. When she wasn’t in the kitchen, she could be found sitting in her back room on her computer playing her favorite game of recent years, candy crush. Her computer screen saver was a slideshow of photos of her great grand-children and next to that sat a framed digital slide-show of family memories. Nothing was more important to her than her family.
In recent weeks Phyllis was able to spend time with her children and grandchildren, play with her great grandchildren Lily & Tyler, and meet her newest great granddaughter Emma.
Phyllis was truly the epitomy of a grandma and because of this, nothing could encompass her essence and memory more than a few highlights from her grandchildren and their significant others:
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Melissa - There are 3 things that come to mind when I think of my Grandma: Christmas decorations, cookies, and chicken cutlets. I always remember there being an insane amount of Christmas decorations throughout the entire house. She passed that love onto me, especially for snowmen, and I do my best to make her proud. She was always the first person I would send pictures of my holiday setups to and she would always be so excited to see them. She also passed down her love of baking cookies to a few of us and I looked forward to bags of sugar cookies every year. There were years that we had those in the freezer even months after because she made so many. Among other things she passed down to me is the need to take care of everyone else, mostly by feeding them. No matter how picky I was or what phase I was going through, I always ate her chicken cutlets and mine never live up to them. Her and my Grandpa had the most balanced relationship I've ever seen. They balanced out each others weaknesses and both had only one priority: family. I hope to show this same kind of relationship to my kids and grandkids one day so I can inspire them like they did. Grandma never realized how important she was to all of us, but I hope she realizes that she helped raise many of us and we owe a lot to her. She took us in and never kicked us out. Even when I asked to go back she just said of course. And I hope she knows that although we will try to fill the cookie baking gap, we never will.
Adam - My first, favorite, and most recurring memory of Phyllis is her asking if I wanted food. And if I said no, she would just ask me again and if I was sure. My favorite being her meatballs, I never turned those down. She was always so supportive of my career changes and excited when I got a new job or a new opportunity. I always felt welcome in her home and I wish I had more time to get to know her. But I know she will be missed by everyone who she loved.
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Nicholas - The memories are overwhelming. The family dinners. The funny love hate relationships with our pets. I recall one time she jumped into the pool because I fell off the diving board and she wanted to save me. I ended up having to help her out of the pool. We loved to watch and talk about Star Trek, Star Wars and other shows and movies. Truthfully I loved all those shows even more because it made me feel close to her.
I remember that she always listened to me and was honest and helpful always. I’ll remember her as being really awesome.
Brittany - A memory I share is how welcoming she was to me from the first time I met grandma. She treated me like I was a part of the family from the beginning. I’ll never forget the amount of food we had for dinners. Her chicken cutlets and meatballs were the absolute best! No chicken cutlets can compare to grandmas. They were the perfect balance of crispy and not too well done. Me and nick got the opportunity to live with her for a while and she always made sure I felt comfortable and was fed! Her house was a home and I loved the feeling I got being there. I will never forget walking into her house and hearing her greet me with “Hello dear, how are you?” I will continue her legacy by sharing stories to Lily and Tyler about swimming in grandma’s pool and of course Lily sitting on her lap in front of her computer watching all the youtube videos. We will always love grandma. ❤
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Jennifer - My last memory of my grandma is sitting across the table from her on my birthday last week, enjoying lunch and chatting while my baby girl sat on my lap giving her “Nanny” big smiles. I am so grateful for this and for all of the memories that I get to hold near and dear of my grandma. When I think of grandma, I think of playing beauty parlor together when I was little, grandma & grandpa coming over on Christmas mornings being one of the best parts of the day, chicken soup, pepperoni bread, grabbing a soda from the fridge in the backroom, birthday precious moments, personalized christmas ornaments, and making sure I got every single Harry Potter book on pre-order, to name a few special memories. I will miss being able to text or call grandma on a whim for cooking advice or recipes, sending her pictures of the food I make, meeting up with her for lunch, and seeing her “likes” pop up on facebook and instagram.
Robbie - “GW” I felt as welcomed into her house as any grandmother would welcome a grandchild. My favorite memory is not one specific moment. I don’t remember the first time I met GW because I feel as if I have always known her. Also, the spread of amazing food was always a great demonstration of her love and care for everyone!
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Christina - I love how grandma was always so honest. If you wanted to hear the truth she was definitely the person to go to. I loved our lunches at red lobster together and I will cherish those times forever. I’ll never forget the texts from her saying “it’s lobster fest, when are you free?” I will miss the comfort of hearing my mom and grandma talk on the phone during the day because I always loved to hear what she had to say. She made sure she supported my business, always asked how it was going & would buy every mug I made even though she said she had too many. Grandma impacted my life more than she realized and I will forever be grateful for the time I got to spend with her.
Keith - Phyllis was an energy I always enjoyed to be around. When I first met her and her family she made me feel right at home, making me comfortable and making sure I always had some good food to eat. She was very caring, always putting others first. She created an amazing family and I’m happy to have shared our time together!
Michelle - My favorite thing about grandma is how honest and supportive she was. My favorite memory with grandma is making whipped cream together, making christmas cookies together every year and being able to bond together over baking. Any question I had she always had the answer.
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Eric - I respect the truth that grandma always told and I love what seemed to be an infinity of my favorite foods that grandma cooked with so much love and skill. There was always comfort in knowing that she was sitting right behind me enjoying her family from the distance while we all ate, but never too far to impart her wisdom as our dinner conversations rumbled through the house. I will be forever thankful for those holidays and events and I know she will still be watching from the distance, still enjoying us as we remember the great impact she had on all of our lives. I am forever grateful to grow up with an awesome grandmother.
Mackenzie - My Grandma Wilson was a woman who spoke her mind, I like to think I inherited that quality from her. When I had grand plans as a child she would smile and tell me she knew I would accomplish it all, because she always believed in me. As I grew older, she continued her zealous support of my dreams. During my many impassioned pool slide debates against Uncle Steve she would laugh, but she always reminded me that she knew I had the mind and tenacity to stand up for the things that were important to me. Now, while I miss her unwavering support, I know she is home with Grandpa Wilson by her side - until we meet again.
Sean - My favorite memories from childhood were spending the summers with Grandma Wilson. Going out to Long Island to spend the summers with Grandma meant time with my cousins, unlimited popcorn, and many late nights watching shows together. As soon as I left, she would ask me when I was coming back. I will always treasure those summers we spent together and the special relationship we had.
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Kerrigan - When I think of Grandma Wilson I think of her love. The kind of endless love only a grandmother can give. Even though I was the youngest of her eleven grandchildren, she always found more room to add the pictures of me into her large collection of family pictures. She would call me the “tie-breaker” because I was the last girl after five grandsons and five granddaughters. She loved me so much that after many years of being a grandmother and playing with her grandkids, she always had time to play with me. Grandma Wilson always said my red hair was my crowning glory, and now when I look in the mirror and hear her say that in my head, I can’t hide my smile.
Matthew - My favorite memory of Grandma is how understanding and forgiving she could be. She treated me like not only a grandson but I always felt almost like she was a mother to me. She always loved me and believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. I’ll never forget our long conversations about cooking or just listening to her gossip.
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Tania - My favorite memory of Mrs Wilson was that at Christmas 2019 when I arrived she treated me exactly like her own family and like this was my home even though it was our first time meeting. She loved and cared for her family so much through all the generations and that’s that what I really loved about her.
Jonathan - Grandma loved her Snowmen, they danced, they sang and they made her happy. What those snowmen did for her is what she did for us everyday. She made us happy and she will be forever missed.
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Phyllis left her family with endless memories and her influence on their lives is paramount. She will be deeply missed. Although none of us know for sure what comes after this life, Phyllis’ version of heaven might look something like this: she’s sitting at a big table surrounded by family, coffee is being poured, crumb cake is out on the table and bingo chips are scattered about. May she rest peacefully.
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Anthony Leis Jr posted a symbolic gesture
Friday, April 2, 2021
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Although Phyllis was not my grandmother I always referred to her as Grandma Wilson . She was always very honest in her answers and it was comforting knowing that even if you were going to get an answer you did not want to hear you knew it was an honest and true answer! I remember going over there every halloween growing up and some holidays. Pop pop was always dressed up as a clown sitting at the garage entrance on a folding chair! I looked forward to your holiday cookies every year and no matter who tried replicating them they never tasted the same! Especially your peanut butter cookies and sugar cookies. I still to this day think there was on small piece of the recipe you left out so it could not be completely duplicated LOL. You will be missed by all of your children, grandchildren, and adopted grandchildren ;). I wish I could have had one more conversation with you at my restaurant, I liked when you came in for lunches! I know you will be with us all every day still in spirit. Love always , Anthony
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Tara Bartick posted a condolence
Thursday, April 1, 2021
Phyllis will truly be missed and definitely made an impact on all who knew her. I knew her since I was in 6th grade and not only did she see me grow up but as a mother of three saw all three of my daughters grow up. I can remember how nervous my sister Linda was when my parents were going to meet Bob and Phyllis for the first time, that was over 30 years ago. As long as I remember Phyllis embraced us all like part of her family and always wanted us to feel at home when she had family gatherings. When i got older I really appreciated the conversations i had w Phyllis I appreciated her honesty and her wisdom and always gave solid advice whether you wanted it or not. When Bob and my Mom passed, Phyllis really took on the role of being the sole grandparent to all of us and it gave me a sense of comfort seeing her at all the family gatherings. When we came in the door she was genuinely happy to see us, and would always catch up on what was going on in our lives and the fact that she cared i will be forever grateful. I remember her asking my girls ‘so what’s new w you girls?’ Theyd give her typical teenage responses and shed ask til she got a little more out of them. Then she’d always ask Maddie, ‘How’s school?’. What did you learn?’. Maddie would say ‘i dont know!’. And she’d say ‘well you had to have learned something’ they would both chuckle and Maddie would give a little more than ‘i dont know’ and Phyllis would listen w a smile on her face. I remember making corned beef and cabbage for the first time, i had no idea how to make it so i called Phyllis, she walked me through step by step but the next year id call her again to ask her all over again and she never minded to give me her time and always said ‘good luck if you need any more help call me’. When it came to cooking i know Phyllis would always know what to do and was more than happy to help. I will always be grateful for Phyllis for her always making us a part of her family, the conversations we had at all the family gatherings and I truly appreciated all the advice shed given me throughout the years because I always appreciated her input and she always said the truth and her insights were always right and matter of fact. Im sad we lost this whole year w covid and I didn’t get to see Phyllis for all the holidays. She will truly be missed and i thank her for playing the grandma role to all of us when we needed it. Phyllis definitely made her mark in this world!!
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Donna Leis posted a condolence
Wednesday, March 31, 2021
Phyllis will be truly missed.Phyllis meant a lot to me and my family.What I loved about her the most was her honesty. She always treated me as part of her family. When there was an event going on she always made sure to include us. Every Halloween was one those fun pizza days at her home, she wanted us there to be a part of that. Phyllis always made my kids feel like they were important. My kids looked at Phyllis as a grandmother. Phyllis included my kids when she was baking for the holidays never forgetting us when her cookies were going around. She always remembered Tony and Chris loving her peanut butter cookies and sending enough for them to enjoy. There are so many more memories of our time with Phyllis.Phyllis definitely left a big impression on me and my family I will forever be thankful for that. We love you Phylllis and will always be greatfull for how you embraced my family ❤️ .
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Louise Hoefler posted a condolence
Tuesday, March 30, 2021
My sister Phyllis was the anchor of our family from as far back as I can remember. She married the love of her life, Bob as a teenager, and they bought a house in Islip Terrace. That house has always been the home base for the Wilson Family. Almost every family gathering, from birthdays (lots of them) to summer BBQs to Halloween, Christmas and New Years were celebrated there. And at the very heart of all of that was Phyllis. Organizing family parties and cooking for the multitudes. She had more energy than any 5 people I knew. Christmas was a very big event at the Wilson household. When her children were small, we would sleep over the night before, so as not to miss out on any of the excitement of them opening their many gifts. She and Bob always made us feel welcome at anytime, you didn’t have to call first, just come on over. As the kids grew up, so did the house! They expanded the home to add more floors, bedrooms and family rooms. When our parents moved out of their home, they moved in with them too. That was one busy household, and always so full of life! Her family has grown exponentially, and they are a testament to her amazing mothering skills and the love that she poured into each and every one of them. I will miss my sister terribly and miss our long conversations, catching up on all the family events. How will I ever keep track of everything now? I am confident that our family will remain intact due to the unbreakable bonds that were formed by the love of my sister Phyllis and brother-in-law Bob many years ago.
Rest easy, big sister, you have earned it!
Love always, Louise
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Zan Spencer posted a condolence
Monday, March 29, 2021
I was a part of this amazing Italian family while I was married to Tom Giordano from 1977 to 1990. Casey is our daughter. We went to New York frequently from our home in California. The hub of activity was at Phyllis’ house. Coming from a very small family, this Italian clan was like being in a great movie for me. I was instantly taken in by all. It was Phyllis who provided the place, the food, the entertainment and the love. I remember all of her children when they were young.... Kenny, Michael, Susan and Steven. I got the news of her passing yesterday from Casey. I called Phyllis’ sister Louise, to find out more. Louise used to live close to us in California and I saw her often. We spoke for quite awhile and I learned of all the children and grand, even great grandchildren that have come over the years since I had seen them. I could hardly believe so much time has gone by. I knew though, that Phyllis s house had been family central and that she enjoyed every moment.
Interestingly, I had a birthday a week ago and Phyllis posted a Happy Birthday on my Facebook page. She had never done that before. I wrote a thank you to her ...... and then, the call last night that she was gone. She was the kind of person you just think will live forever. I could hardly believe it. I had not seen her for many years but I still remember her address, even zip code! The memories, the people,whose names I struggled to learn because there were so many of them, are now engraved in my heart forever and Phyllis is at the top of the list! Goodbye dear Phyllis. You touched many people with your love (and food).
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Casey Lambert uploaded photo(s)
Sunday, March 28, 2021
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I have such lovely memories of being at Phyliss' house as a child - It wasn't until I got older that I realized how much work it takes to be a such a good hostess - but she made it seem effortless. The family gatherings she would have were massive; with incredible food and everyone having a wonderful time from ages 0-70. She will be missed immensely.
I was shown this photo in Sicily while visiting the DiGiovanni family with my father, Tom Giordano, and Francesco DiGiovanni in Sept. of 2018. Francesca DiGiovanni, the matriarch of the DiGiovannis, had dozens of photos that were sent back to Italy from relatives in America after they emigrated there. We came across this photo and just thought it was so precious. We immediately sent it to Phyliss who made it part of her facebook profile. She told me she loved seeing photos I posted when I visited Italy while my husband and I were stationed in Germany.
I am so sad to hear of her passing. She was an amazing woman and definitely someone whose memory I will carry with me. Love you Cousin Phyliss! xoxo Casey Giordano
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The family of Phyllis Jean Wilson uploaded a photo
Sunday, March 28, 2021
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