Phyllis Lucille Gemellaro

GEMELLARO, PHYLLIS LUCILLE (nee MATTIELLO) Age 83 passed away February 14, 2026 surrounded by her family. Phyllis was born on May 2, 1942 in Brooklyn, NY of Viola Treffi and Ralph Mattiello. She married the love of her life, Marcello (Marc) Gemellaro at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Brooklyn, NY on December 1, 1963. She began her life with Marc in sacrificial love and strength. Beloved wife of Marc of 63 years. Loving mother of Deborah (Michael) Newman, Marc (Sharon) Gemellaro, Edward (Laura) Gemellaro, & John (Jennifer) Gemellaro. Proud grandmother of Sarah (Parker) Leighton, Luke Newman, Jane Gemellaro, Annalise Gemellaro, Matthew Newman, Santo Gemellaro, William Newman, Elaina Gemellaro, Michael Gemellaro, Drayden Gemellaro, Jack Gemellaro, Charlotte Gemellaro & Henry Gemellaro. Step-grandmother of Nicholas (Ranae) Pfeiffer & Adam (Lexi) Pfeiffer. Dear sister of the late Ralph (the late LuAnn) Mattiello. Phyllis was a woman with an abundance of love and great courage for all that she would encounter in life. Phyllis’s exceptional talent was first realized in her early graduation from New Utrecht High school and at that time she drew the attention of agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New York office. They approached her with an offer to join the FBI as a stenographer during the height of the Cold War, a period in which she quickly proved herself to be both highly skilled and deeply trustworthy. Assigned to the espionage division in the New York office, Phyllis later received an Award of Excellence from FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover for her service during the investigation of the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Phyllis was so highly regarded by the agents of the FBI that, many years later, in October 2021, the Bureau reestablished contact with her to transcribe interviews conducted by agents investigating the September 11 attacks, including those connected to the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania, as well as the Oklahoma City bombing. She completed numerous transcripts and submitted them to the FBI for inclusion in its archives. Phyllis met Marc when his cousin introduced them during their morning commute on the Sea Beach Line of the New York City subway, the elevated route into Manhattan. Marc boarded the train at the 62nd Street station, and Phyllis at 73rd Street. From their very first meeting, she captured his heart. They were married on December 1, 1963. They waited a few years before having children. Their life together on East Second Street in Brooklyn, NY was loving, happy, and full of laughter. They would often be found in the bowling alley with friends and family having a good time. In 1966, when their daughter, Deborah, was born, Phyllis left the FBI to devote herself fully to raising their family. She embraced her role as a stay-at-home mother with dedication and grace. As their family grew with the births of two sons, Marc and Edward, Phyllis encouraged a move to the suburbs north of Manhattan—to New City, New York—to provide more space for their growing family. There, their fourth child, John, was born. As providence would have it, a promising professional opportunity opened for Marc in Detroit, Michigan. Once again, Phyllis demonstrated strength and courage, agreeing to relocate from the East Coast to Detroit—making the move with a broken leg, four young children, and leaving their extended family far behind. In their new community, Marc and Phyllis served on the steering committee that helped establish Holy Family Regional School in Rochester, Michigan. Phyllis conducted a detailed demographic study that clearly showed the school would soon require expansion, and a master plan was developed based on her research. With their four children older by this time, Phyllis returned to the workforce as the school’s first secretary, bringing her experience, organization, and steady dedication to this new role. A woman of remarkable courage, Phyllis never shied away from a challenge or a new adventure. Always willing to take risks, she faced them with steadfast bravery and a heart full of love. In 1985, at Phyllis’s urging, they sold everything they could to raise funds to purchase property on Little Creek Drive in Rochester, for their growing family. This proved to be a pivotal decision in their lives: the land, situated on wetlands, increased in value and later provided the necessary collateral to launch their startup business In 2003, Phyllis signed the document granting her husband permission to be ordained as a permanent deacon in the Catholic Church. By 2008, they had taken on the responsibility of guiding the formation of other permanent deacons and their wives. For the next seventeen years, Phyllis exemplified what it meant to be a loving, selfless wife, fully supporting her husband’s mission and ministry. In doing so, she also influenced countless women, showing them how to serve as instruments of unselfish love and support in their own marriages. Phyllis found joy in transcribing, reading, crossword puzzles, Scrabble, and card games, but her greatest devotion was always to her family. She gave herself wholeheartedly to her husband, four children, their spouses, and grandchildren. Her abundant, unconditional love touched everyone privileged to know her, serving as the grounding force in her family. It flowed effortlessly, boundlessly, and without condition—being on the receiving end of it was a taste of heaven on earth. She was fully present in every moment, dedicating her whole self to those she loved. She never missed her grandchildren’s events: Sarah’s softball games, Jane’s horseback riding, Anna’s graduation, Santo’s baseball, Elaina’s softball and riding, Matthew’s ice hockey, Luke’s and Billy’s football games, Michael’s concerts and football games, Drayden’s robotics tournaments, Jack’s flag football, Charlotte’s dance recitals, and even Henry’s building-block adventures—just to name a few. Through the years, Phyllis embraced both joy and challenge with courage and grace. She consistently led Marc into new beginnings, and now, once more, she is leading the way—this time to Heaven, because Love is Eternal. Visitation Thursday 4-8pm, Friday 1-8pm with 7:00pm Scripture Service at Wujek-Calcaterra & Sons 54880 Van Dyke at 25 Mile Rd. (SHELBY TOWNSHIP). Funeral Saturday Instate 9:00a at St. Andrew Catholic Church 1400 Inglewood (E. of Rochester Rd btw. Romeo and Tienken Rds.) until time of Mass at 9:30am. Donations are welcome to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or Mary's Mantel. Interment Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Southfield, MI. Share memories with the family at their "On Line Guest Book" @ WujekCalcaterra.com.

Phyllis Lucille Gemellaro

May 2, 1942 - February 14, 2026