Obituary of Nancy Jane Phillips

Nancy Jane Phillips

Ithaca - Nancy Jane Phillips, beloved Mother, Grandmother and Great Grandmother, departed her earthly form on July 3rd, 2019 on her 73rd birthday surrounded by her daughters.

Born July 3rd, 1946, Nancy grew up in Oswego, NY with her loving parents Carey and Ruth Salander, her brothers Richard and Barry, and her sister Patricia. Nancy was an artist with an eye for true to life portraits, a poet with the heart of a romantic, a dancer (which in her younger days earned her the name "Hot Cakes"), and a singer with a voice so strong that even being tied to oxygen could not stop her from pouring her heart into the microphone. She was an avid reader and, up until her last years, read every day. Her favorite genres were fantasy, sci-fi, and horror. She couldn't get enough of Vampires! She loved nature and being outdoors and adorned her living room as if it were a garden. Her affinity for nature included animals, both domestic and wild. She could often be seen feeding the squirrels peanuts outback of her building and watching the ducks with their ducklings in the creek. She loved horses, and in her younger days she regularly rode. If they had existed, you can bet she would have been on the back of a Pegasus! Nancy was most at peace sitting next to a campfire into the early hours of the morning. When that became a hazard, due to the incompatibilities of fire and oxygen tanks, she settled for "adventuring" with her daughter down unexplored country roads to feed her wild side. Nancy had a huge heart and cherished her family, even though she was known to say (on many occasions) "my daughters drive me crazy". Nevertheless, she was always a phone call away. She had a way of making people laugh as she was full of sarcastic humor, sometimes inappropriate, but did not hold back. Independent and stubborn to her last day, Nancy outlived the Doctor's predictions by years and bid farewell to this world on her own terms, peacefully drawing her last breath following the fireworks finale on her 73rd birthday. Some might say "she went out with a bang!"

Nancy's Legacy carries on through her 8 daughters - Linda Wood, Lisa Wicks, Jennifer Phillips, Karen Phillips, Barbara Clough, Andrea Yasna, Gail Phillips, JoanMarie Cartier, her 13 grandchildren, her 8 great grandchildren, and her furry cat daughter Hermione. She will live on through their memories and stories, as well as those of her brother Richard and his wife Gloria, her sister Patricia and her husband Bill, her sister-in-law Paula, and her many friends. She is now reunited with her parents, her brother Barry, her sister Carol, and her brother LeRoy.

A celebration of life will be held in her memory at Stewart Park in Ithaca, NY on July 20th at 1:00 PM. The family requests that guests wear her favorite color purple. In lieu of flowers, donations in Nancy's memory may be made to the local SPCA, Wounded Warrior Project, or St. Joseph's Indian School as they were all charities dear to her.