Phyllis A. Higgins

Phyllis Adelene “Cookie” Higgins of Wayne, PA, passed away peacefully with her husband and daughter by her side on September 19, 2026 at the age of 82 after a brief illness.

Born on August 19, 1944 at Taylor Hospital in Ridley Park, PA, she was welcomed by her parents, Louis and Phyllis Calvarese. She was the sixth of seven children. When she was a young child, her older sister’s friends thought she was “cute as a cookie” and hence her nickname, which followed her throughout her life.

After Cookie graduated from St Anthony’s grammar school, she went to Notre Dame (Moylan) High School where she made many lifelong friends. Then she was off to St Joseph’s School of Nursing in Philadelphia. She graduated and began working at Sacred Heart Hospital in Chester.

The beginning of Cookie and Jim’s love story began on Valentine’s Day, 1963, when she attended a La Salle College glee club concert which happened to be at St. Joseph’s. As the glee club members introduced themselves to the nursing students, Jim spoke to Cookie briefly and was smitten. Three years passed and Jim was still thinking of her. He obtained her phone number through a friend and asked if she’d like to go to a movie. She said, “I am busy that night, but call me again.” Jim would persist. He called her again the next week and she said yes!

Cookie and Jim got married on April 22, 1967. The next year they welcomed a baby girl, Maureen. Three years later, Brendan was born. When the kids went to school, Cookie decided to return to nursing. She worked in the OR in eye surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital in Minneapolis. Jim‘s job took the family to Connecticut where Cookie began working as the head nurse in an ob/gyne practice. Upon retirement, they moved back to the Minneapolis area. They reconnected with old friends and in her mid 60s she began a new hobby: golf! They were lucky enough to live very close to Brendan and his wife Kay when Declan was born. When her granddaughter‘s visited, she would have all three of her grandchildren sitting on the floor of the apartment playing different musical instruments including handbells. This made her very happy.

In 2018, they moved to Wayne to be closer to family and old friends. They joined St. Thomas of Villanova church and became very active in the parish. Cookie had been part of the handbell choir at St. Patrick’s parish in Minnesota and was instrumental in reviving the handbell choir, Laetate Ringers, at St. Thomas.

An avid reader, Cookie often had piles of books on her table in the living room. She was a regular at the Radnor Memorial Library. Also, on that table were many crossword puzzle books and she was very good at them! She enjoyed watching classic movies with Jim and particularly enjoyed listening to classical music and opera on the radio on Saturday afternoons. Cookie was very musically inclined herself. When she was young, she began piano lessons as did all of the girls in the family. In high school, she played the violin in the orchestra. When she was in her early 40s, she mentioned to Jim that she really enjoyed listening to the flute, especially played by James Galway. That Christmas, Jim bought her a flute! She took lessons for a couple of years and was the only adult at the recitals but she thoroughly enjoyed it.

Cookie (“Mom Mom”) also delighted in watching her grandchildren thrive in their endeavors. She went to many hockey games, soccer games, track meets, and baseball games. She was always very supportive and encouraging of their creative interests as well. She was so proud of them.

She will be deeply missed by her loving husband, Jim; her daughter and son-in-law, Maureen and Mark Seasholtz; her son and daughter-in-law, Brendan and Kay Higgins; and her grandchildren, Keara, Norah, and Declan. She will also be missed by her sister, Til Mack, and her brother, Lou Calvarese, along with many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Relatives and friends are invited to celebrate her life on Monday, October 12, 2026 at St. Thomas of Villanova Church, main campus. Visitation is 9:30 to 11am at the church followed by the Funeral Mass at 11am. Preferred parking for those without mobility needs is across the street approaching via Lancaster Ave/Rt 30 to St Thomas way. For guests with mobility issues, enter campus via Spring Mill Rd/Rt 320 toward Tolentine Hall. You will be directed toward the church and a drop off area. Parking is limited here.