Queensbury - Phyllis Marie Buccino was born November 13th, 1923 in Montreal, Quebec Canada. She passed away Saturday, August 15, 2026. She was the daughter of Albertine Michel and Luigi Buccino. Married Leonard Avona, her WWII pen pal on September 30th, 1947 in Montreal, then moved to Long Island where her husband spent 39 years in the military.

They were Foster Parents for many years on Long Island before her husband's retirement and they moved Upstate. She worked in Real Estate, and volunteered at the Glens Falls Hospital, the Crandall Library, and the Chapman Museum. She was active at both the Glens Falls and Queensbury Senior Centers.

Her hobbies, besides continually taking educational courses at ACC, were reading, hiking, photography, needlepoint and line dancing. In her later years, her passions turned to writing. Her books reveal a lot of who she was. Her love of books led her to participate in the several book clubs, poetry and writing groups at Crandall Library, the Glens Falls and Queensbury Senior Centers.

The library published the book titled Crandall Voices which included some of the groups written memories. Personally, she wrote and completed three novellas, Letters to a Friend, two poetry books, a roundup book and last but not least her Memoirs 1 and 2 that included her latest poems.

Predeceased by her parents, four brothers, three sisters, a daughter and a son. She is survived by two children, Jeanne Payne of Wilmington NC and Michael (Angela) Avona of Kyle TX; six grandchildren, Andrea (Steve) Payne of Lexington Kentucky, Jason and Steven Jones of Shelton, Ct., Shayla Seeger, Brittany and Julianne Avona of Kyle Tx and great grandson Carson Seeger.

At her request there will be no calling hours or service at this time.

Donations in her honor may be made to Glens Falls Senior Center, https://gfseniors.com/

Condolences may be sent directly to Baker Funeral Home, 11 Lafayette St., Queensbury, NY 12804, or through www.bakerfuneralhome.com.