Southampton native Phyllis (née Cancellieri) Jones died with three nieces by her side on January 28 at St. Mary’s Medical Center in San Francisco, California, after a long struggle with cancer. She was 80.
Born March 29, 1929, in Southampton, she was the daughter of Gaetano Filippo, known as Phillip, and Assunta Cancellieri. She lived in Tennessee, Buenos Aires and Mexico City, before finally settling in San Francisco, where she lived for more than 40 years.
According to family, she loved the medical profession and enjoyed a long career as a registered nurse, proudly advancing to a position as head operating room nurse at St. Mary’s Medical Center.
Family said that she is best remembered for her love of life and family and her many and varied interests and hobbies, including lapidary work, travel, knitting and playing the digital keyboard. She loved gadgets and was always interested in keeping up with the latest technology. But family members recalled that her greatest love may have been for her feline companions Misty, Max and Minnie.
She is survived by two sisters, Grace DeJose and Caroline Burk; a brother, Americo Cancellieri; and many loving nieces, nephews and extended family. A sister, Assunta Cambria, and a brother, Carmelo P. Cancellieri, predeceased her.
Family and friends will hold a private celebration of her life in Petaluma, California. Her ashes will be interred at the Cancellieri family plot in Southampton, where a separate memorial service will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 2500 16th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103 would be appreciated by the family.
on Feb 17, 2010