Bridgeport’s Phyllis and Sam Cann are being honored as the West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival Samuel F. and Lucia D’Annunzio Mother and Father of the Year.

 

Sam and Phyllis Cann were both born in Clarksburg and grew up in strong Catholic-Italian neighborhoods; Sam being a North View boy and Phyllis (Mazza) a Glen Elk girl. They met in grade school and began dating while attending Notre Dame High School, from where they both graduated in 1971.

 

Their Italian-Catholic upbringing has been inspirational in all aspects of their lives. They were married in 1974 and have five children.

Their oldest, daughter Sarah and husband, Tim McNeely, live in Bridgeport. Their children are Gray, Griffin and Kendell.

 

The Canns’ son Sammy and wife Amanda live in Raleigh, NC with children Mazza and Sam III and they are expecting a baby girl, Mary Grace, soon.

Daughters Rebekah and Julia live in Hilton Head, SC.

 

Youngest daughter Laura is married to Rob Matheny II and they reside in Clarksburg with their two daughters, Violet and Rose.

 

Sam is a graduate of WVU with a BA degree (1975) and a MS degree (1976). He has served in both the WV Senate and the House of Delegates. He retired from Dominion Resources after 35 years of work in the oil and gas industry in West Virginia. Sam is the son of Carmine J. Cann and the late Florence Chico Cann.

 

Following high school graduation, Phyllis served as a missionary for one year in southern West Virginia and attended LPN school when she returned home. Upon graduation, she worked at St. Mary’s, WVU Med Center and UHC hospitals as an LPN until their first child was born in 1978.

 

Phyllis is the daughter of Violet and the late Albert Mazza. Sam and Phyllis reside at Maple Lake in Bridgeport and are active members of All Saints Catholic Church.

 

WVIHF Office Manager Elizabeth Hoover explained how the Canns and other festival honorees were selected.

 

“We keep an ongoing file with honoree suggestions throughout the year,” she said. “Toward the end of the year, the board then reviews the bios/credentials and put the names on a ballot form. Each board member votes for their choice for each category.”

 

Other distinguished honorees for the 41^st annual festival are Dr. Robert J. Beto, Jr., Italian-American Man of the Year; Dr. Mary Frances Veltri Jordan, Italian-American Woman of the Year; Mike Patrick, Honorary Italian Man of the Year; Gretchen Palek, Honorary Italian Woman of the Year; Suzanne Shaffer, Marshall University Excellence in Education Award; Frank Angotti, Grand Feature Parade Marshal and Benny Portaro, Distinguished Veteran Pillar Award.