Mary Jane Phillips

She was born on March 12, 1940 in Canton to parents Joseph and Mary (Adams) Mucha. Mary Jane was the youngest of four children having two brothers and one sister.

She graduated from Timken Vocational High School in Canton in 1958. Mary Jane worked at the former Hoover Company and main manufacturing plant in Canton for 35 years. She began her career in the factory and later served as a union steward, an insurance liaison for employees, and as the first female president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1985. Mary Jane said many times that her heart was always working for and serving her fellow employees.

She played slow-pitch softball into her early seventies. For many years, Mary Jane played for a team sponsored by Bud’s Radiator, and in 1997 she was inducted into the Greater Canton Slo-Pitch Softball Hall of Fame. Practicing her faith, bible study, playing card and mahjong games, and spending time with friends and family were among her favorite past times.

Mary Jane met her husband John Donald Phillips through mutual friends and they were married August 29,1959. Together they raised two children. John passing away in July 2003.

She is survived by her two children, Sherry (Michael) Orlando and John Phillips Jr., as well as three grandchildren including Phillip Orlando, Nicholas (Lucia Notardonato) Orlando, and Emily Phillips. Mary Jane is also survived by two of her siblings, Sophie (Mucha) Preston and Robert Mucha, and by her lifelong friend Karen Schaaf. She was preceded in death by her parents, and her brother Joseph Mucha.

Special thanks to the team of aides and nurses at Canton Regency Assisted Living. She impacted many lives during her tenure as a resident, but you impacted her life as well. We are forever grateful.

A funeral service and celebration of life will be held at the Faith Bible Church in Canton on Sunday November 1, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. The family will receive friends and family at the church beginning at 2:00 p.m. with Celebration of Life to follow the church service.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Faith Bible Church Food Pantry or Faith Bible Church Outreach Program.