Phyllis Mae Lambo

Phyllis Mae Lambo was born to James and his wife Antonietta on August 10,
1928, named for her grandmother Philippa, and the second of three children-
siblings, Neila and Jim. She grew up on Maple Hill, where her dad had a grocery
store. Phyllis, or Fefe, as she was lovingly known, attended St. George's
Elementary and Cleveland High School. Shortly after high school, she began
working at SH Kress, and for the next forty plus years she worked almost
exclusively in downtown Seattle, first for Kress, then for Hallmark. She started as
a clerk, then worked her way up, acting as bookkeeper and providing customer
service for decades. Phyllis was an enthusiastic worker, greeting everyone with a
big smile, helping them find not only what they came in for, but often other things
that they didn't know they'd want!

Phyllis was one of the friendliest, generous, most loving women one could ever
meet - to a fault! Never married, she showered her nieces and nephew-and
grandnieces and nephews, and even great grandnieces!-with hugs, laughter,
pocket change, little toys and gifts. She loved her entire family dearly. After her
father died, Phyllis continued to live with her mother, caring for her until her death
in 1979. She relished being at family gatherings, listening to the stories and
basking in the hubbub of her Italian family. Auntie Fefe always had change or
candy in her pockets to hand out, and if you came to visit her at her house, you'd
always walk away with some little item that she had in her gift stash-stationery or
Christmas ornaments, Beanie Babies and pens. At Christmas or for birthdays, she
would arrive with bags of items for each person, all haphazardly wrapped-with
lots of scotch tape!-the practical and impractical, funny little gifts, all in the spirit
of giving and her own joy watching everyone unwrap what she'd brought.

The Mariners were her other main interest. Phyllis loved to watch the baseball
games, and attended quite a few in her life-usually getting someone to drive her
there, rewarded by her footing the bill for tickets and concessions. She was never
much interested in travel -and, the one time she ventured out of the greater Seattle
area, to Eastern Washington, Mt. St. Helens erupted, preventing Phyllis from
getting home that night: the only night she hadn't slept in her own bed up to that
point in her life!

Predeceased by her parents and sister Neila, Phyllis is survived by her brother Jim,
sister-in-law Margie, and multiple nieces, nephews (including grands and greats!).
Her final months were at Mt. St. Vincent in West Seattle, where she died
peacefully on July 4th 2018. This little lady made a big impact in her own
sweet, loving, generous way, and will forever be in the hearts of those who knew
and loved her.

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