CURRENT CELEBRATIONS

Phillip Cirillo

Phil’s life was defined by his work ethic: 12 hours a day for most of his life and he never missed a day on the job, coordinating distribution for the Philadelphia Inquirer. He was no different at his home; always in motion, weeding, running sprinklers and constant home improvements. He knew his way around South Jersey and Philadelphia like the back of his hand. And, more importantly, he knew the fastest way to every 7/11 and Wawa in the Delaware Valley. He was a strict dad, but only because he wanted the best for his children. Of course, he softened up quite a bit when the grandchildren came along. Regardless of how sick he was, you could count on Phil to be cheering for the grandkids on the sidelines. His happiest times may have been taking them on vacations to the Outer Banks, watching the grandkids grow up and watching Minions and Despicable Me. Phil was a car buff: He could tell you the stock motor in just about every vehicle produced in the 60’s and 70’s. For fun went around negotiating on cars; he’d sit stoically and let the dealers sweat. He even negotiated the deals for his family members. He cheered for the Eagles and had Sunday Season tickets for the Phils. He was raised in Philadelphia, a graduate of Bishop Neumann High School and lived in Edgewater Park.
An earlier job at Freshy Foods earned him more than just a paycheck. It’s there he’d meet a pretty woman named Barbara. A first date of a drive-in movie followed by cheesesteaks at Pat’s led to a 50 year marriage. He is pre-deceased by Phillip Cirillo Sr and Marie Cirillo, he is survived by his children, Robert (Flory) Rose, Ann-Marie “Buffy” Colonna (Steve) and Brian (Julia) Cirillo; grandchildren, Kaitlyn, Joshua, Jennifer, Patrick, Junior, Gianna, Shane, Ian and Owen; and his siblings, Carolyn Cane (Quintino) and Joseph Cirillo (Connie).
Come celebrate 72 great years Monday 9-11 a.m. at Sweeney Funeral Home, 337 Bridgeboro Street Riverside where there will be an 11 a.m. service. Entombment St. Peter Cemetery, Riverside. In lieu of flowers, donations to American Cancer Society (cancer.org) will be appreciated.