Obituary of Filomena "Phyllis" Vanni

Filomena “Phyllis” Vanni, 92, of Freehold, NJ passed away on Wednesday, February 16, 2022. She was born and raised in Bronx, NY and had lived on Staten Island for over 40 years before settling to Freehold, NJ in 2003. Phyllis held various office jobs in NYC and Staten Island. She previously worked as a Manager for the CYO Senior Citizen Guild of Staten Island. Phyllis rode the subway every day from Bronx, NY to midtown Manhattan while attending Washington Irving High School where she studied fashion design and was so proud of her design sketches. She was a truly remarkable woman. Phyllis was smart, kind, and always went out of her way to help others. She was extremely talented in the kitchen and enjoyed cooking several authentic Italian dishes from scratch. Phyllis was also a selfless person, caring for her parents, late husband, and most recently herself. She was a fighter to the end who never gave up. Phyllis was a long-time cancer survivor, having battled non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, colon, kidney, and bladder cancer. Most of all, she was a dedicated mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who was passionate about spending quality time with her family. Phyllis will be remembered for her kind smile and will be missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her.

She was predeceased by her beloved husband, Arthur Vanni, Sr.; twin brother, Leonard Ciccone; and parents, Louis and Anna Ciccone. Phyllis is survived by her sons, Arthur Vanni, Jr. and his wife, Melody of Freehold and Raymond John Vanni and his wife, Larriann of Toms River; grandchildren, Raymond George Vanni, Chelsea Vanni, Alex Vanni, Christopher Vanni, Vanessa Vanni, and Desireé Vanni; great grandchildren, Claire Abigail Vanni, Leo Alexander Truocchio, Reece Adrian Vanni, John D’Amato, and Max D’Amato; daughter-in-law, Shirley Vanni; and daughter by heart, Nancy Aranzullo.

Visitation will be held at the Clayton & McGirr Funeral Home, 100 Elton-Adelphia Road (Route 524), Freehold Township on Tuesday, February 22, 2022 from 2:00 to 4:00 and 7:00 to 9:00 PM. Relatives and friends are invited to attend her 11:00 AM funeral service on Wednesday, February 23, 2022 at St. Gabriel’s Cemetery & Chapel Mausoleum, 549 County Road 520, Marlboro. Entombment will follow. For information, directions, or to leave condolence messages to the family, please visit www.claytonfuneralhome.com