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Shelter Island Reporter obituary: Philip Mancine

PHILLIP MANCINE
PHILLIP MANCINE

Philip Mancine of Shelter Island died at Stony Brook University Hospital on August 17, 2015. He was 58 years old.

Phil was born on February 27, 1957 in the Bronx. He graduated from high school and attended continuing education classes at Hyde Park Culinary School while working his way up in the restaurant industry. He worked as a chef on Fire Island, St. Thomas, Vail, Colorado and Vermont where he made many friends.

He then came to Shelter Island where he worked at the Shipwreck and Cargo, The Inn Between, Gardiner’s Bay Country Club and finally Goat Hill’s Phil’s Place. Phil spent the last 10 years working at the Shelter Island Hardware Store where the Gurneys became like family to him. They were medically accommodating to him after his kidney transplants and ongoing medical treatments due to cancer.

After Phil’s first kidney transplant, he was instrumental in raising money and advocating for the building of the children’s skate park on Bowditch Road on Shelter Island. He personally raised $5,000, which the town matched for the project’s completion. More recently, Phil worked for the town’s Recreation Department as an aide for its open gym. He was hoping to return to work at the gym because he always had hope that he would get better. Phil was brave and strong, he never complained, and he never stopped fighting. He enjoyed life every day, no matter what, his family said.

Phil was a kind, happy, helpful and hopeful person. He loved his family, especially his nieces and nephews. Each one was so special to him. They made him so happy.

Phil is survived by his wife, Cynthia Michalak, whom he married on February 10, 1991 on Shelter Island and his brother, Thomas (Brooke) of Palm Bay, Florida. He is pre-deceased by his sister-in-law, Eleanore Crittenden and survived by her two children, Sara and Andrew. He is survived by his sister-in-law, Christine Cole (Monte) and their son, David (Meredith); his sister-in-law, Joan Tehan (Chris), their children, Andrea (Josh), Joseph (Anne)and their children, Charlie and Claire; his brother-in-law, John Michalak and his children, Ben (Nicole), Margaret and John (Megan) and their daughter, Evelyn.

Phil was also pre-deceased by his nephew, Christopher Tehan, and his niece, Catherine Michalak. Phil was also very close with his wife’s cousins, Jennifer Toth Beresky (John), Louis Toth and his three sons, James, Christian and Louis (Kate) and their new baby, Lily Rose.

The family received  friends on  August 20 at the Shelter Island Funeral Home. The Liturgy of Christian Burial was be celebrated on  August 21 at Our Lady of the Isle Roman Catholic Church with Father Peter DeSanctis officiating. Phil will be cremated so he can come home to his best friend and wife, Cynthia, to the home they built and lived in for 20 years.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Phil’s memory may be made to the Gift of Life Foundation — P.O. Box 532, Shelter Island Heights, NY 11965 — which was so kind to Phil over the years and was started in memory of a friend, Cheryl Hannabury.