Philomena Iannotta Brams, 78, of Scott Township, passed away unexpectedly on May 7, 2022. “Phil” or fondly referred to as “Philly,” was born Feb. 26, 1944. She was the oldest daughter of Frank and Rose Marie Iannotta (deceased) of Monessen. She was the niece of Michael Iannotta and Antonio Iannotta (deceased), also of Monessen. Phil graduated from Monessen High School in 1962 and was actively engaged with the reunion committee for many years. She went on to get a master’s degree from George Washington University and studied for a doctoral program in French at the University of Pittsburgh. Phil was a loving and devoted mother from the first day she learned she would adopt her boys. Her family will remember her for the tireless, enduring strength that she carried while raising her sons and in the years that followed. Phil prided herself in being well-rounded and teaching people about a lot of things! Professionally, she was a French teacher at Mt. Lebanon High School for 28 years. And from a personal perspective, Phil had many interests and hobbies. First, she was the family historian. We could always count on her to communicate with our Italian relatives and keep in touch with what was going on in “the old country.” She wrote us “documentaries” about our Italian ancestors and collected artifacts from when they came to Ellis Island from Italy. These were designed to be able to teach our children about their Italian heritage. She had the incredible gift of speaking fluent French and Italian. She opened her home and hosted international exchange students and chaperoned trips to France with her students. After her retirement, she was an avid community volunteer by working at Sojourner House and Meals on Wheels on a regular basis. In essence, much of Phil’s free time was spent helping people make a better life for themselves. For the last 10 years, Phil has been teaching the women at Sojourner House how to cook. The session was called “Nutrition with Miss Phil.” Once a month, she brought in healthy recipes for the ladies to cook. She also brought the ingredients and sometimes even the crock pot in which it got cooked! She taught Sojourner House residents how to make food that was nutritious and helped them gain life skills as they worked to improve their quality of life. Phil is survived by her son, Andrew of Scott Township. She was preceded in death by her son, Michael Brams, in 2018; and former spouse, Stewart J Brams, in 2021. Also surviving are her sister, Bruna Galati of Cleveland, Ohio; brother, Louis Iannotta (Debbie) of Monessen; sister-in-law, Karin Brams Baird of Holland, Mich.; brother-in-law, Lowell Brams (Jeanette) of Lander, Wyo.; nieces, Angela Brown (Robert) of Twinsburg, Ohio, Michelle Stomieroski (Brian) of North Olmsted, Ohio, Ginger Baird Fearey (Gavin) of Grapevine, Texas, and Kathryn Baird Ivy (Michael) of Goodlettsville, Tenn.; and nephews, Frank Galati (Becky) of Ottawa, Kan., and Geoffrey Baird (Shelley) of Glencoe, Ill. She was also a dedicated and loving “Great Aunt Phil” to great-nieces, Elizabeth and Gianna; and great-nephews, Joshua, Daniel, Anthony and Vincent. She is also survived by many cousins, nieces, nephews, neighbors and fond friends, of whom there are too many to list. According to Phil’s wishes, there will be no viewing. Friends will be received at WILLIAM SLATER II FUNERAL SERVICE, 1650 Greentree Road, Scott Township, PA 15220, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 4, 2022. The service will immediately follow at the funeral home. www.slaterfuneral.com. The family requests in lieu of flowers to please donate to Sojourner House in Phil’s memory at www.sojournerhousepa.org/donate/ or to Meals on Wheels, www.mealsonwheelssouthwestpa.com.
