Filomena “Phyllis” Malanga

Filomena “Phyllis” Malanga, age 92, of Wayne, passed away peacefully on Thursday, June 27, 2019, with her loving family by her side.

Phyllis was born and raised in Montclair where she attended and graduated from Montclair High School. Immediately after graduating, she landed her first job as a secretary for General Motors Corporation in Bloomfield.

As a young woman living on Pine Street in Montclair, Phyllis had the good fortune of crossing paths with a handsome U.S. Navy veteran named Americo “Rick” Malanga. Recently receiving his honorable discharge from Navy service, Rick returned home and moved in with his sister, Thelma, who just happened to live on Pine Street across the street from Phyllis. Wanting to play matchmaker, Thelma tried to fix him up with Phyllis’s older sister, but liking Phyllis more, Rick wondered, “What’s wrong with her?” referring to Phyllis.  It was a fair question and it ultimately lead to the beginning of a loving relationship between Rick and Phyllis that was enjoyed for the rest of her life, including over 70 years of marriage. Phyllis and Rick made their wedding vows on December 5, 1948, at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church located on the same street they met – Pine Street in Montclair. After enjoying a honeymoon in Washington D.C., they moved into their first home together in the downstairs apartment of Phyllis’s parents. Blessed with two children, first their daughter, Annette, and then their son, Richard , they eventually moved to Wayne in 1962, calling that place home to this present day.

Phyllis’s main devotion was to her husband and children. She kept her home spotless and made it a welcome place for all her family. Dinner was served via a routine she and Rick shared which went something like this: When Rick was ready to come home at the end of the workday, he’d go to a nearby pay phone and call home, letting the phone ring just two times. Then he’d hang up so he could get his two dimes back. This was the signal for Phyllis to spring into action, putting the final touches on a deliciously home-cooked meal so she could have it on the table when he walked through the door. Phyllis’s family loved her cooking and her baking, too. Family favorites included her pot roast, fried meatballs, salad, anything Italian, and for dessert, a nice slice of banana cream pie or cheesecake always hit the spot.

While raising her children, Phyllis used those secretarial skills she learned at General Motors to support her husband in the family business – Rick’s Highway Service Center in Paterson and later at Malanga’s Automotive in Riverdale. It was a job she would never actually retire from. She could often be heard saying, “I have to do the books” and, like every other facet of her life, she did those books with excellence, often having post-it notes stuck up all over the place to keep her organized and efficient. Never one to sit still, Phyllis also thoroughly loved her job serving as a cafeteria and playground aid at Randall Carter Elementary School in Wayne for over 17 years. Working every morning through lunchtime, Phyllis called it the best three hours of her day. She was known by all the kids as “Ne Ne” and “Miss Phyllis” and was loved for her big smile and bedazzled jewel whistle which she used to line up the kids to come in from the playground. That bedazzled jewel whistle was just so fitting for the likes of Phyllis, who fancied herself quite the fashionista. She loved looking sharp from head to toe, including the nicest nail polish and a little misting of CK1 to smell pretty, too. In fact, one of the most flattering things to Phyllis was that her granddaughter enjoyed borrowing her clothes. Of course, looking beautiful took a little time so if Phyllis’s had plans and you were going to pick her up, she’d usually say, “Not before 11:00 AM.”  

When Phyllis would actually stop long enough to relax, she and Rick enjoyed kicking back by playing a few games of Skip Bo. In more recent years, she developed into quite a New York Yankees fan, and she got to know the game and players well enough to not hold back from expressing her opinion with regards to how a particular game should be managed. Near her phone were index cards with the phone numbers of all who were dear to Phyllis, and you could expect regular phone calls from her just checking on you or just to say hi. Country was her choice for music and, while not an extensive traveler, she and Rick did take a trip once to Vegas and they also enjoyed a memorable Royal Caribbean Cruise with their granddaughter, Phylissa, and her friends. They must have had a great time on that cruise because Phyllis and Rick could never be found. Above all, she loved being “Ne Ne” to her three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. There was not one event in their lives – dance recitals, sporting events, Christenings, First Communions, birthday parties, and all graduations, including college, that Ne Ne didn’t make time for, always asking, “You got me a ticket, right?”  She was still very upset that she had to miss grandson Nicholas’s First communion because she was hospitalized in need of a pacemaker.  If she had her way, she would have attended the Communion, then returned for the pacemaker.  Important things first!

Phyllis will always be adoringly remembered for her kind, caring heart, her very generous spirit (she could always be heard saying, “Get me my wallet.”), and even little things like the sweet smell of her perfume. She had an innate ability to make friends with total strangers, and she surely touched the hearts of all who had the privilege of knowing her.

Filomena was the beloved wife of Americo “Rick” Malanga, blessed in marriage for 70 years. She was the loving mother of Annette Avolio of Wayne and Richard Malanga of Riverdale; cherished grandmother of Louis and wife Marisa Avolio, Phylissa and husband Rocco Gallotta, and Nicholas Malanga; adored great-grandmother of Joseph, Louis, Michael, Rocco, and Liana; and dear sister of Patsy, Michael, and Antoinette Pasqualicchio – all predeceased.