Phyllis Deborah Conner

Phyllis Deborah Conner, 94, passed away peacefully on March 9, 2025, at Sunrise of Marlboro in Marlboro, NJ.

Phyllis was born on May 6, 1930, in Brooklyn, NY to Faye and George Hanshaft. After graduating from New Utrecht High School in Brooklyn, Phyllis married Morton Conner and moved to Wantagh, Long Island where sons Steven, Robert, and Douglas were born. The family moved to the Strathmore section of Aberdeen, NJ in the early 1960s. Phyllis and Morty kept their friends from Long Island, Aberdeen, and later Monroe Township for their entire lives.

Phyllis was loved by everyone she met. She loved spending time with family and friends, especially her and Mort’s tennis friends. Phyllis was known for her kindness and thoughtfulness and great sense of humor as well as her passion for swimming, tennis, crocheting, and later pickleball. Once her three boys were grown, Phyllis returned to school and earned an Associate in Arts Degree from Brookdale Community College in 1979. Phyllis was a devoted wife to Morty for 51 great years. Besides being a devoted mother to her three boys, Phyllis was a loving mother-in-law to Rosemarie, Liz, Kim, Keisha, and Michele; a loving grandmother to Sean (wife Melissa), Melissa (fiancé Sebastian), Max (wife Brittany), and Forrest (fiancé Danielle); and great grandmother to Reese, Grace, and Liv. She was also loved by many nieces and nephews as well as her sisters-in-law Ruth Bloom and Rhona Hanshaft and brother-in-law Louis Conner. She was preceded in death by her husband Morty, her sister Leonora (Lenny), and brother Jerome (Momie).

Phyllis’ oldest grandson Sean put it so beautifully…

“Grandma’s passing has made me reflect on all the wonderful moments we shared with her. She was the epitome of a “glass-half-full” mindset—always carrying a positive attitude and embracing change with acceptance and love. And she had an incredible sense of humor—her well-timed jokes, even the ones she had told before, always made us smile because she found them hilarious. Her salmon and sweet potatoes, her brisket, kasha & bows—but most importantly, her love—were things I always looked forward to. What she and Grandpa built together is truly remarkable. While I will always remember her, she will continue to live on through us. The love she embedded in the foundation of our family is something truly special. I picture her and Grandpa smiling down from heaven, each laughing at their own recycled jokes, just as they always did. We are so lucky to have Conner-Hanshaft in our roots.”

The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to the entire staff of Brighton Gardens, Middletown and Sunrise of Marlboro and to Bernadette for their wonderful and compassionate care.

Phyllis will be deeply missed by all who knew her and her memory will live on in our hearts.

Services are entrusted to Jersey Shore Cremation, 43 Taylor Avenue, Manasquan, NJ.