Obituary of Phyllis Petruzziello

Phyllis (Fiasconi) Petruzziello, 88, died peacefully on October 5, 2019. She hated to leave a party so she stayed as long as she could. She lived life to its fullest with courage, humor and grace. She died with dignity surrounded by love.

Phyllis was born in Everett Massachusetts on February 19,1931 as Angela Ferzoco, the youngest of eight children. Orphaned at the age of 16 months, she was adopted, renamed Phyllis, and was lovingly raised by Edward and Lena Fiasconi as an only child.

Phyllis attended Somerville High School, graduating in 1948. She then attended Lawrence Memorial School of Nursing, graduating in 1951. While at Somerville High she met Tony, a cousin of her friend Doris, at a church dance. Tony had just returned from serving in the Navy in the Philippines - he would become the love of her  life - they were married in November of 1951.

Phyllis raised her family in Burlington MA. She worked as a nurse for many years. She lost Tony after only 29 years of marriage in September of 1981. She then went back to school - earning her Master’s degree from Cambridge College. After that she worked as a nurse educator until she retired. After she retired from nursing she worked at Royal Pastry in Lexington where she resisted eating too many of the sweets. She then worked as the after school receptionist at Belmont Hill where she thoroughly enjoyed being surrounded by fine young men. She then helped her daughter Paula run Rock Ledge Manor bed and breakfast in Rye, NH for several years where she was a favorite of the guests.

Phyllis enjoyed going on many traveling adventures with her friends and family members. She was a loving and devoted wife, mother, aunt, grandmother, great grandmother and friend. She also enjoyed time at the beach, going to the casino, cooking, bird watching, gardening, doing puzzles, and most of all - hanging out with family.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 29 years, Anthony J. Petruzziello Jr., her brother, Al Ferzoco and her sisters Velia Ferrara, Jilda Buckner, Laura Audette, Irma , and Lillian Ferzoco. She is survived by her brother Dr. Arnold Fiascone of Danvers, her four children: Ann (Jan Benoit) Petruzziello of East Bridgewater MA, Paula Petruzziello of Hampton NH, Michael (Rhonda) Petruzziello of Wolfeboro NH, and Mary (Jim) Ricciardi of Norfolk MA; by her grandchildren, Christopher Haugen, Jennifer (Buddy) Johnson, Lisa (Ian) Knichols, Nicole Ricciardi, Jessica Petruzziello, Leah Ricciardi, Dana Ricciardi, Anthony (Britt) Petruzziello, Jake Ricciardi, Jeffery (Lindsey) Klane and Robert (Jolene) Klane; and her great grandchildren; Abigail, Eloise, and Hannah Johnson, Caroline, Harry, Brennan, Kate, Emily, JJ, and Mallory Klane and numerous nieces and nephews.

A memorial mass in celebration of Phyllis’s life will be held on November 2, 2019 at 11:00 AM at St John the Evangelist, 9 Glen Road Wellesley, MA 0248.

Visitation with the family is invited during a reception immediately following the service at the church. The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made in Phyllis’s name to either to

Care Dimensions Hospice

online at https://www.caredimensions.org/giving/ways-to-give/memorials.cfm or by mail at

Care Dimensions

75 Sylvan Street, B-102 Danvers, MA 01923

or to

The Falls at Cordingly Dam

2300 Washington St., Newton, MA 02462 Attn: Deb Foster

to be used solely for the maintenance of a bar and happy hour for the residents