One of my earliest memories of Aunt Florence is from a family trip to California when I was in sixth grade.  I remember her house being full of people, which she reveled in.  She was a gracious hostess, ever accommodating, with a lengthy list of sightseeing day trips to entertain us.  I remember swimming in her backyard pool with my sister Karen, and Dolly. It was a very long trip from NY to California by train, but well worth the ride to spend time with wonderful family members. My father surprised us by flying out to meet us, but he was the one surprised to find an empty house, because  Aunt Florence took us out for the day! Several years later, my family drove from NY to visit again.  It was a long ride, but ended with another great visit.  I remember side trips to Las Vegas and Tijuana, which filled the trunk with souvenirs. More recently, a couple of years ago, my husband and I, along with some friends and family, took a vacation to Vegas, and Dolly and Aunt Florence met us for several days. The fact that she was using a wheelchair to get around certainly didn't slow her down, or keep her from gambling and dining with our group.  She was as witty as ever, with a keen sense of humor, and a very impressive zest for life. She was truly a pleasure to be around, a trait she certainly passed down to Dolly. She will be remembered with great love and respect, and she will never be forgotten by anyone lucky enough to really know her.


As an adult I came to know Granny in another way. She watched me grow, have successes and make mistakes. She was there when I fell in love, got married and as I raised my children. She was always supportive and I admired her wisdom, fierce love of family and incredible judge of character. Granny could pick up on things about a person in a matter of minutes that might take most people years to figure out. She was a force to be reckoned with, but a loving and forgiving force. She knew when to fight for something, and when not to take life too seriously. She was one of the greatest people I have ever known and I am better person for having had her in my life. She was not my grandmother by birth, but she was my Granny since I was born, and I will cherish my memories of her always. Her loving spirit will live on with me and my family forever.


Florence was known to me only as Granny. Granny was not my biological grandmother. As a matter of fact, the reason she came to be in my life was because my own grandmother was ill and my mom needed help with the 6 children she had at that time. I wasn't even in the picture yet, but I think God already knew I was going to need Granny and was sending her to me. I was born not long after that and was followed by 2 more, and what was intended to be a few months of help turned into more than 10 years and a lifetime of love, friendship and memories. I think Granny was the only person crazier than my own parents. She took on 9 kids that weren't even hers, and she loved them as her own.
We have so many great memories of Granny. I remember hiding her keys at the end of the day so she couldn't leave, and her bargaining to get them back by promising to race us to the end of the block when she drove away. In more recent years, I loved visiting with Granny and listening to her tell stories about the days when she watched all of us. One of my favorite stories was when my older siblings thought they were so clever and locked Granny out of the house, only to find that she made her way back in within a matter of minutes. What I love most about that story was the way Granny smiled when she explained how she had climbed back in a window to get in and how surprised David and Cristina were to see her.
Granny was a great storyteller and a great teacher. She taught us the importance of being kind to each other and how to stick up for ourselves. She taught me about faith, and to value God and family above all else. And of course, she taught us all to play blackjack!
Whether she was outsmarting my older siblings, or forgetting to ever mention to my parents that the boys set the backyard on fire, Granny always had our backs. We were so lucky to have her and all of our childhoods were full of love and laughter in large part because of Granny.


Simply the best!  Florence was a rare human being whose wisdom, understanding and insight crossed generations.  She was a rare gift from God like no other. She is now a part of her family that will carry on what she instilled in them from the oldest on down to the youngest.  Her caring affected many even those not in her family. She gave me her caring and support through my working on my doctorate and surviving cancer.  Florence saw to it that she was there when I received my doctorate knowing that I really did not have supportive family of my own.  Today she is very much a part of my being Dr. Joyce Ellis. Her inclusion of me almost as family through the years meant everything.  She will be missed in many ways snd we are left with remembering her many gifts to us all and honoring her memory in what she gave us and carrying it on to others. Her deep spiritual beliefs were demonstrated through her actions and words which she shared with many.  Let’s remember that Florence is now in the arms of God receiving the love of our Lord which she believed in every day of her life.  

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Florence M. Phillips

21 février 1924 – 14 juin 2018

Stone Funeral Home

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