Phyllis L. Staluppi

Phyllis L. Staluppi (nee Nigro), age 90 of Wayne, died peacefully at home on Monday, April 19, 2021.

Phyllis grew up in Jersey City, NJ and was the youngest of six children. She graduated from Henry P. Snyder High School with the class of 1948 and began working for Bell Telephone. It was right around the time she was in high school that Phyllis met Joseph Staluppi at a YMCA dance. He approached her and asked for a dance that night, and a courtship began. Not long after that they were engaged to be married and exchanged vows in 1953 at Sacred Heart RC Church in Jersey City. After a honeymoon in Miami Beach they had two sons and lived in Jersey City and Fairview, NJ before buying a brand new house in Wayne in 1964.

Phyllis was a ‘taxi mom’ driving her sons everywhere they needed to go, including Little League games, football practices, soccer practices and day trips to Fountain Springs Lake in Ringwood. Her sons recall what a great cook their mother was too, and the family will especially miss her Sunday dinners of ravioli, chicken and chocolate pudding pie which was a favorite among all of her grandchildren. Summer vacations were enjoyed at Wildwood, NJ and Cape Cod. When Phyllis was in her 40’s she started  taking painting lessons and became an excellent painter, creating still-life and landscapes on canvas. She also worked at Stern’s in the Preakness Shopping Center for over 20 years.

Phyllis and her husband Joe enjoyed a very loving and devoted marriage. They were tied at the hip and loved each other very much. Joe was a man of few words, and Phyllis knew how to carry a conversation! Together they would watch Wheel of  Fortune and then the Yankees game every night. Phyllis would call her sons and tell them about a great play that Derek Jeter made. They were parishioners at Our Lady of Consolation RC Church in Wayne, where they attended mass every Sunday at noon. When Joe’s health began to fail, Phyllis was by his side no matter what, supporting him through all his doctor visits. Sadly, after fifty-nine years of marriage, Joe died in 2012, and Phyllis has missed him terribly ever since.

Phyllis is survived by her two sons Joseph Staluppi and his wife Ginny of Dobbs Ferry, NY and Peter Staluppi and his wife Heidi Kantor of Wayne, six grandchildren Joseph Anthony and Francesco of Dobbs Ferry, and Aaron, Peter, Demi and Steven of Wayne. Phyllis was predeceased by all five of her siblings; Madelyn Koster, Anthony, Michael, Angelo, and Gus Nigro.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, National Processing Center, PO Box 96011, Washington, DC 20090 or the American Cancer Society, 2310 Route 34,Suite 1D, Manasquan, NJ 08736.