Mickey McCollum Vassallo

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Mickey McCollum Vassallo died Sunday, September 25, 2016 at Wesley Health Care Center where she was lovingly cared for by the staff on 2 Victoria. She was born in Pikeville, TN to Eva Mansfield and Clyde E. McCollum on August 23, 1926. The family moved frequently as her Dad was responsible for opening airports and TWA terminals across the country. She married Edward Vassallo in 1950. They raised two daughters. In 1958 the family moved to England where Edward was assigned to the English division of Campbell Soup. The family lived there for ten years. In 1968 Edward took a position with Reynolds Tobacco Company and the family moved to Winston-Salem, NC until his death in 1974. Most recently Mickey lived in Woodstock, VT and since 2001 in Saratoga Springs. An avid golfer, she learned to love the game on the links in Norfolk, England and the beautiful rolling hills of Vermont. She loved animals especially horses, cats and Standard Poodles. She had an appreciation for fine art and crafts. While in Winston-Salem she opened an American Crafts store, Unicorn, with her sister Mary. Her sense of style came through as she had been an avid collector of Wedgewood, and English antiques. She was always up for a driving adventure exploring the small roads and villages of England and Europe with her family. She enjoyed gardening and flower arranging and belonging to numerous garden clubs. She also had a wonderful collection of crystals and stones that she would hunt for wherever she was. She was fascinated with the unseen. She was an avid reader and always had a book open. She was a loyal fan of the NY Yankees and their captain Derick Jeter. She found great joy in being with her children, grandchildren, stepchildren and their families. She had many friends on both sides of the “pond” who loved her for her warmth, free spirit, humor and sense of adventure. She is preceded in death by her parents, husband, sister Mary (Toni) Blunt, and her son-in- Law, The Reverend Cannon Thomas T. Parke. She is survived by her daughters, Andrea Vassallo of Santa Fe, NM, and Allison Parke of Saratoga Springs, granddaughters Kassandra Frau De Angeli, Justine Kahn (Christopher Benjamin), and Tess Kahn, great-granddaughter Eve Aurora Benjamin, step family Emily Parke Crawford, Dan Crawford, Jackson and Penelope Crawford, Tracy Parke and Jonathan Parke, niece, Victoria Montgomery and nephew James Blunt, God daughter Kelly Joan Smith Brown and dear friends George and Grace Smith. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations for Mickey can be made to Wesley Health Care Center, 131 Lawrence Street, Saratoga Springs, N.Y. 12866 Words cannot adequately express the wonderful care she received from everyone at Wesley especially on 2 Victoria. They cared for her with love, and respect making her three years there the very best they could be. She was blessed at a very challenging time in her life. A memorial service will be held at The Church of the Holy Cross, Main Street in Warrensburg, NY at a later date. An announcement will be made.