Phyllis Conner Pickens

Phyllis Conner Pickens passed away March 26, 2025, age 91 in Moorestown, NJ.  Beloved wife of the late Carrol Francis Pickens.  Dear mother of Paula (Ron) Wengerd, David (Penelope) Pickens, Ann (Albert, Jr.) Berardocco, Mary Landis (Danny McLaughlin).  Loving Grandmom of Conner (Brian) McCaw, Reid (Kelly) Briglia, Noah (Jackie) Pickens, Bayard (Emily) Pickens, Grace Pickens, Jessica (David) Shamash, Marissa Berardocco, Albert Berardocco III and Steven Landis.  Cherished “GG” of Gavin, Kylie, Chase, Luca, Colbie, Milo, Isla, Olivia, Penelope, Layla, Beck, Cohen, Dylan, Sylvia, and Arlo. 

Phyllis was born in Wichita, Kansas in 1934, to Harold Duncan Conner and Philomena Ernstmann.  She carried childhood lessons of learning to sew, knit, and crochet; daily attendance at Mass; and managing wartime shortages through her years.

She attended the University of Kansas, where she was a member of Chi Omega sorority and Mortar Board honor society.  Phyllis double-majored in French and English and earned a bachelor’s degree in 1954 with highest honors.  She earned a Master of Arts degree in English from the University of Pittsburgh in 1968.  Phyllis taught composition, journalism, and Shakespeare at Burlington County College and Ramapo College.  She developed and directed the Ramapo College Technology in Education Center to engage faculty, staff and students in embracing technology to support curriculum.  Phyllis sponsored scores of student techs from around the world, fostering their professional and educational development.

Phyllis was an active Girl Scout, including youth hiking in the Rocky Mountains.  She carried on the traditions of service as a leader for her three daughters’ troops. Her lone year as her son’s Cub Scout den mother was a gracious act of patience and long-suffering. 

Phyllis and Carrol hosted Rotary Foreign Exchange Students[PP1]  from around the world who became lifelong friends and, in some cases, honorary family members.

Food played a big role in their lives – talking about what they were going to make, how they’d prepare it, then lavishly enjoying every bite. Vacations, visiting exchange students, friends and family influenced their palates.

Music was everywhere. In addition to piano and organ, Phyllis played soprano and alto recorders at Barclay Farms Trinity Presbyterian Church and enjoyed season tickets to the Philadelphia Orchestra. 

As active community members, Phyllis and Carrol nurtured community garden plots at Barclay Farm (Cherry Hill, NJ) and Awosting (Hewitt, NJ), and for many years cooked donated Thanksgiving meals for local families with Caring Hearts Ministry in Haddonfield, NJ.

An avid bridge player, Phyllis taught herself to count cards to be a better player.  She completed the Sunday New York Times puzzle in ink each week for decades, read and reread The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings trilogy every year, and attended family milestone events whenever possible. She enjoyed travel, including the 1976 Montreal, study abroad in the UK, St. Barts, Colombia and Ecuador with family, Brazil, rafting down the Rio Grande with best friends, and always their happy place at the shore. 

Phyllis was an active and devout lifelong Catholic.  

Relatives and friends of the family will meet for the visitation and funeral Mass on Monday morning, March 31st, from 9:30AM to 10:15AM at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, 42 W. Main St. Moorestown, NJ.  Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:30am Monday morning.  Arr. by BOCCO FUNERAL HOME, Cherry Hill.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Phyllis’ memory to the following organizations: 

AAUW (American Association of University Women):  https://www.aauw.org

Girl Scouts of America:  https://www.girlscouts.org

National Audubon Society:  https://www.audubon.org