Phyllis M. (Parrella) Vass

Buzzards Bay – Mrs. Phyllis M. (Parrella) Vass, of Buzzards Bay, died at home on Friday, May 20, 2016. She was 74.

Phyllis was born in East Boston on July 9, 1941, a daughter of the late Carmine and Elizabeth (Graziano) Parrella. As a child she moved with her family to Watertown where she was raised. She graduated from Watertown High School in 1959.

On April 27, 1963 she married Revere native Robert A. Vass in Saint Patrick's Church in Watertown. The pair lived in Brighton for a time before moving to Waltham where they raised their family. They made Buzzards Bay their home a number of years ago and spent many happy winters living at The Villages in Florida.

Until its closing Phyllis worked in the information technology department at Waltham Hospital where she'd begun working years earlier as a keypunch operator. Before going to work at the hospital she held the same position for Prudential Insurance Company.

Phyllis made many lifelong friends beginning with her Watertown classmates and included groups in Waltham, Buzzards Bay and in The Villages. She treated her friends like family and enjoyed leisure time with them spent on the golf course at Little Harbor in Wareham, bowling or playing weekly card games.

In addition to her husband of fifty-three years, Bob, she leaves her children, Deborah A. Marcou of Waltham, Diane E. Grover and her husband, Warren, of Ashland and Robert A. Vass and his wife, Paula Connelly-Vass, of Waltham; her grandchildren, Olivia and Harrison Marcou, Kelley and Alison Grover and Jonathan and Julia Vass; her sister and best friend, Marie Herrmann of Westford; her former son-in-law, David Marcou of Weston and many nieces and nephews.

She was also a sister of the late Anthony Parrella.

Family and friends will honor and remember Phyllis's life by gathering for calling hours in The Joyce Funeral Home, 245 Main Street (Rte. 20), Waltham on Wednesday, May 25th from 4 to 8 p.m. and again at 10 a.m. on Thursday morning before leaving in procession to Saint Patrick's Church, 212 Main Street, Watertown where her Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Burial will follow in Ridgelawn Cemetery, Watertown.