Birth date: Oct 13, 1942 Death date: Dec 30, 2023
A Celebration of Life for Phyllis Sandra will be held Saturday, January 13, 2024, from 4-6 pm at Creekside Lodge and Conference Center, located at 6993 Hwy 49 S. Dadeville, Alabama 36853. Phyllis Sandra, neé Cangelosi, passed awa Read Obituary
Cathy and Joe. Thank you so much for your love for my mama!
Saturday's celebration was such a beautiful tribute to Phyllis. Atmosphere, fellowship, singing, Caleb's touching remembrance and prayer, food, and attendance by so many who loved Phyllis... it was all just right! I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to speak to everyone before we had to leave. Joe and I are so glad we were there. Phyllis made such a difference in our lives (topped off by the fact she introduced us) and I learned so much from her (which would include that I can still be friends with someone who called me "a little ****"). Phyllis told me many times she was a Christian who by definition was saved by the blood of Christ. Even though she is now beyond all human cares I'm sure she'd be pleased with what was done in her memory on Saturday.
Everything that has been said about Phyllis is so true and to the point. She was a card. She made me smile when I saw her and really wonder what was going on in her pretty little head. She will be missed. She was a special woman. Sure would be nice if we all treated life like she did. Great words Kira!
Terrell & Stacy Haggerty
Thanks, Kira! so many wonderful memories shared. So many life lessons she taught - you'll never stop laughing if you learn to laugh at yourself! and never forget Illegitimus non carborundum - truly a good motto in life because our victory is in Christ!
Oh my! the first to mention gumbo over potato salad! Still my favorite! Thanks for sharing so many wonderful memories!
Indeed! Looking froward to seeing you!
Thanks Mason! I'm sending you a pic of you and her in NO - I think we had a good (innocent!) time too in the FQ that weekend!
Thanks so much Michelle! I love how you expressed "she shared her paradise and created community." She loved people and was generous with the provisions she was given for all to share.
Thanks so much Andy! I don't believe in coincidence, just God's providence. He laid her on your mind for a reason, if only to share what you had to share about what a beautiful person she was - "unending kindness" for the "least of them" How beautiful. Can't imagine how she could have glorified the Lord more! Thank you!
Nana was larger than life. Coming to 5-feet-nothing with heels on, she commandeered every room she entered. It's fitting that she was born on Friday, the 13th, as men and giants cowered under her eye. It's also fitting that she passed on to glory on December 30-ensuring that everyone who loved her would not grieve in sorrow but have a grand ol' party with sparklers and sequins.
There's never been anyone like this spunky spitfire who required everyone else to spin around her. She found humor in the most random places and loved to make people laugh. She always had a glint in her eye as though she had a secret just under the surface (and she'd tell you if you'd stick around long enough). She'd entertain crowds with tales of Camp Freeze Your A** Off, her moniker for her ranch in Colorado, and then remind us of the time she literally sailed to the Bahamas through a tropical storm. Her personal flair was too unique to replicate, though her eye for beauty and appreciation of art in nature and in human works carried on to my mom and sister.
She was one great big contradiction and could give you whiplash before you could get out of the way. Nobody would ever call her "nice," but she loved fiercely and passionately. She started every day with a mug half-full of Community chicory coffee and half-full of whole milk to cut the blacker-than-black sludge, and she ended every day with scotch on the rocks.
More like Scarlett O'Hara than she'd admit, she made the best of all situations and lived by the motto "Illegitimus non carborundum"-which she had engraved on a plaque in her living room beside works of fine art. While her portraits of former Louisiana governors have hung in Baton Rouge museums, she also framed magazine ads and comic strips around her home.
Phyllis Sandra taught us that garlic and butter make everything better and that life is more fun if you can laugh about it. And while we'll do a lot of laughing about our days with her, we'll miss her deeply this side of heaven.
