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Maryfrances Phillippi
Maryfrances Bane Phillippi had a simple way of talking about the end of life—she would simply say that one day she’d go “poof.”
On Monday, July 6, 2026, she did—peacefully in her sleep, after a remarkable life spent healing others, creating beautiful things, nurturing those she loved, and finding wonder in the natural world.
Born on Nov. 22, 1943, in Philadelphia, Penn., to Elizabeth and Paul Bane, Maryfrances spent her childhood dreaming of a different view. Growing up in a Philadelphia row house, she longed for a kitchen window that looked out on “all trees and no houses.” That simple dream quietly shaped the rest of her life.
Before there were horses, grandchildren, handcrafted angels, and a farmhouse on Deren Road, there was service.
As a United States Army nurse, Maryfrances volunteered to serve in Vietnam, caring for wounded soldiers at the 93rd Evacuation Hospital in Long Binh, often only minutes after they left the battlefield. She arrived before the hospital was fully built, living in tents and serving under conditions that would shape the rest of her life. Though she rarely spoke of those experiences, those who knew her understood that much of her quiet strength, resilience, compassion, and appreciation for life’s simplest gifts were forged there.
It was through her military service that she met another Army nurse, Gene P. Phillippi, at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Maryfrances was assigned to relieve Gene at the end of his shift, startling him as she arrived. He asked her out, but she already had plans. She politely declined. Soon afterward, Gene deployed to Vietnam. Knowing how much a letter meant to those serving far from home, Maryfrances wrote to him every single day during his deployment. Those letters became the foundation of a love story that led to their marriage in 1968 and more than 57 years of partnership, laughter, unwavering devotion, and building a beautiful life together.
Together they found the place Maryfrances had dreamed about as a little girl.
On Deren Road they built Phillippi Quarter Horses, raised two sons, welcomed grandchildren, rescued animals, created beautiful things, and opened their home to family, friends, neighbors, and anyone who happened to stop by. It became far more than a farm. It was a place where people gathered, stories were shared, coffee was poured, and everyone felt welcome.
Professionally, Maryfrances dedicated many years to nursing, including a long career in occupational health. Caring for others was never simply her profession—it was who she was.
As her family grew, another gift quietly found its voice.
What began as handcrafted gifts for family and friends blossomed into an extraordinary body of folk art. Every angel, nativity figure, woodland animal, Santa, and seasonal creation was individually designed, hand-cut, painted, textured, and signed. Inspired by nature and everyday life, her work found homes across the country, carrying a little piece of Maryfrances with it wherever it went.
To know Maryfrances was to know someone fiercely loyal. If you were fortunate enough to be part of her circle, you had someone who loved you deeply, believed in you completely, and never hesitated to tell you exactly what she thought you needed to hear. She spoke her mind—often bluntly, sometimes irreverently, and almost always without a filter. Her sons occasionally cringed, usually laughed, and always knew one thing: Mom was going to tell the truth as she saw it because she loved you too much not to. She believed that loving someone meant telling them the truth—even when it was difficult—and then standing beside them no matter what came next.
That same heart extended far beyond people.
Maryfrances never met an animal she wouldn’t care for with extraordinary tenderness. Injured chickens recovered in the bathtub during Michigan winters. Orphaned barn swallow chicks found beneath the gooseneck of a horse trailer were hand-fed hundreds of miles into an 1,800 mile trip. Abandoned barn cats, stray dogs, wild birds, and countless other creatures all seemed to find their way to Deren Road—and somehow, always found a home.
Whether the one in need had two legs or four, feathers or fur, Maryfrances loved with her whole heart. Sometimes that love came wrapped in a warm embrace. Sometimes it came wrapped in a hard truth. But it was always offered with unwavering loyalty, deep compassion, and the sincere hope of making life a little better for someone else.
Maryfrances didn’t spend much time talking about how people should live. She simply lived in a way that showed what she believed. Kindness was never wasted. Compassion was always worth choosing. Beauty could be found—or created—even after life’s hardest seasons. She believed every person, every animal, and every living thing deserved to be treated with dignity, gentleness, and love. She understood that what mattered most was not what we accumulated, but how faithfully we cared for one another.
In her own words:
“An inspired voice sings within me with renewed inner peace.”
Nothing brought Maryfrances greater happiness than her family. She is lovingly remembered by Gene, her husband of more than 57 years; her sons, Bane (Katie) and Sam (Holly); her grandchildren, Asia Nicorata (Steven), Hank Phillippi, and Liam Phillippi; her great-grandchildren, Stevie and Roman Nicorata; and the many friends, fellow veterans, collectors, and loved ones whose lives were enriched by knowing her. Her greatest masterpieces were never the ones displayed on shelves. They were the family she loved so deeply and the values she quietly passed from one generation to the next.
She leaves behind much more than beautiful artwork. She leaves behind a lifetime of healing, a family rooted in love, the remarkable life she and Gene built together, and thousands of handcrafted pieces that will continue bringing joy, comfort, and a little piece of Maryfrances into homes for generations to come.
As a little girl growing up in Philadelphia, Maryfrances dreamed of looking out her kitchen window and seeing “all trees and no houses.”
She found that place.
It was, in every sense, a life genuinely and beautifully lived.
A Celebration of Maryfrances’ Life will be held on Saturday, Aug. 15, from 1 to 3 p.m. at Summit Park in Summit Township. Family and friends are invited to bring a smile, a favorite memory, and, if they wish, a written story or photograph to include in our Memory Book as together we celebrate a life genuinely and beautifully lived. If you’re unable to join us, please raise a glass of whatever you’re drinking and make a toast to Maryfrances. We know she’d like that.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Maryfrances’ memory to the Mason County Humane Society.
Maryfrances will be laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery, where she will receive military honors, at a later date.
Arrangements were entrusted to Grace Funeral Home and Cremation Services. www.GraceCremations.com
