Phyllis A. (Deangelis) Battaglia

Phyllis Battaglia, 76, of Kent passed away Friday, September 23, 2022, at her home surrounded by her loving family. Born March 7,1946 in Ravenna, Ohio to Phillip and Elizabeth (Polichena) DeAngelis, she attended Immaculate Conception Grade School, Kent State University High School and was a member of Immaculate Conception Church.

Phyllis and her husband Nick were owners of Battaglia’s Garden Center in Ravenna, a family business they started in 1970 in a little red barn on the corner of Summit and Rootstown Roads and continued to sell plants in that location, adding a building as the business expanded. In 1981 they moved the business to their current location at 3049 St. Rt. 59 in Ravenna and built a glass greenhouse. The following year a pole building was added, and they ran a farm market and garden center. After that first season, they decided to focus on the garden center. Additional greenhouses were added as the business grew and more space was needed for growing and displaying plants. Battaglia’s Garden Center became known for having a high-quality selection of plants and is known for excellent customer service. Phyllis was especially known for designing beautiful combination pots, hay racks, and hanging baskets. She took great pride and joy in the presentation of the plants in the greenhouses, had a tremendous eye for detail and saw beauty in all things. One of her favorite things to do was her custom design work and she took great pride and joy in working with Kent State University designing the large gray flowerpots and hanging baskets that are placed all over campus. She also enjoyed working with the City of Ravenna and City of Kent in designing and planting the hanging baskets that are hung downtown. Phyllis was an organizer and a planner, a good businesswoman who treated employees well and always put her customers first. She was known as an honest and gracious businesswoman, respected for her knowledge and dedication to her customers.

Phyllis enjoyed gardening, and her home landscaping was extraordinary. She was an excellent cook and baker and was well known for her homemade spaghetti sauce, soups, cannoli, Texas sheet cake and chocolate Favette cookies, especially enjoyed during the holidays. She loved to hike and had been participating in the Cleveland Metroparks Fall Hiking Spree for the past 16 years. She loved all things in nature, especially hummingbirds, monarch butterflies and cardinals. She was an avid reader, with mysteries and thrillers being her favorites and she would spend hours sitting in her favorite chair reading and looking out her bay window at her bird feeders, flowers, and wildlife. She also loved to travel and took her grandchildren to Disney World many times.

Phyllis was a loving daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend to many.

She was fiercely loving, always put family first and was a caretaker to her grandmother Fannie DeAngelis, her parents Phillip and Elizabeth DeAngelis and to her family friend Lois Stewart all while taking care of her own family and running a business.  Phyllis was often described as beautiful, kind, and compassionate, funny, yet wise, remarkably clever, a bit ornery, as well as determined, dedicated and unbelievably dependable. Her family appreciated her forgiving gentle spirit, quiet strength, and selfless devotion to those she loved.

Phyllis was preceded in death by her infant son Stephen Phillip Battaglia, her father Phillip DeAngelis, her mother Elizabeth (Polichena) DeAngelis, and her brother Frank DeAngelis.

She is survived by her husband of 59 years, Nick Battaglia; her children Paul, John, and Kathy (Cecil Keene) Battaglia; and her grandchildren Samantha and Vincent Battaglia, and Mia and Giada Drago.

The Battaglia family would like to thank the Cleveland Clinic, ProMedica/Heartland Hospice, Emily Drago, RN, Juli Bretti Drago, NP, and Lisa Ingwer, RN.

In lieu of flowers, the Battaglia family requests that donations be made to the: American Cancer Society or to Community Action Council of Portage County, PO Box 917, Ravenna, Ohio 44266 (please write “Phyllis Battaglia Memorial Scholarship Fund” on the memo line).

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, October 3, 2022 at 10:00AM at Immaculate Conception Parish, 409 W. Main St. Ravenna, OH. 44226, with the Rev. Fr. William Kraynak as Celebrant.  Entombment will follow at St. Mary Cemetery.  Calling hours will be Sunday, October 2, 2022 from 4:00-7:00PM at Bissler and Sons Funeral Home, 628 W. Main St. Kent, OH. 44240.