Phillip Salvatore Bisesi

Phillip Salvatore Bisesi, a loving husband, father, step-father, brother, uncle and friend to all who knew him, departed this life on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, at home with his family and his dogs by his side, following a short battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 66.

He was born on February 8, 1957, on the west side of Cleveland to Rose M. LaNasa and Salvatore L. Bisesi, who preceded him in death. Phil grew up in the suburb of Rocky River, Ohio, and although he lived most of his life in North Carolina, he always called Cleveland “home.” 

He was an avid sports fan, dedicated to his favorite teams, which included Duke basketball and football, Carolina Hurricanes, Cavaliers, Guardians and, most importantly, his beloved Browns. He enjoyed sharing this love of sports with friends and cherished watching and attending various sporting events with his children.

Phil attended Wittenberg University, earning a bachelor’s degree in Biology. He went on to earn a master’s in Environmental Management from Duke University and a master’s in Public Administration with a minor in Industrial Engineering from North Carolina State University. He had a passion for environmental issues and energy conservation, which served him well throughout his career. He worked as an energy conservation officer for the City of Wilson, NC; a senior project manager for North Carolina Advanced Energy, a nonprofit energy consulting firm; and a local government coordinator and program manager for the North Carolina State Energy Office. Most recently, he worked as a Supervisor of Residential Energy Services for ElectriCities of North Carolina, from which he retired on March 31, 2022. He was especially proud of his work promoting electric vehicles and developing E-Tracker, an energy education program aimed at teaching high school students the relationship between energy use and weather patterns. He also developed the curriculum for and taught customer service training classes for municipal employees. Mostly, he treasured the lasting friendships he developed with his co-workers and colleagues throughout his career.

In his spare time, Phil loved nothing more than taking his cameras out and about, often driving in the country or to a nearby small town to see what wonders he could find to photograph. He had a keen eye for color and texture, as evidenced by his broad range of photographic subjects. He especially loved photographing old cars and trucks.

Phil will always be remembered for his kindness and thoughtfulness, his sense of humor and infectious laugh, and his devotion to all those who were lucky enough to call him a friend. He leaves behind his wife Joy Jolly Bisesi; a son, Phillip Ryan Bisesi (Ryan), and daughters Sara Elizabeth and Rachel Laughter Bisesi from his first marriage to Wilma Bailey Bisesi; step-daughters Rachel Catherine and Cailin Elaine Evensen; step-son Elijah Christian Evensen; sister Josephine Anne Butler (Joanne) and her husband Brian; niece Erin Barylski; many cousins; and scores of friends. 

A memorial service will be held on Friday, March 24th, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. The family will receive guests prior to the service from 1:00 - 2:45 p.m. at the Donaldson Funeral Home Chapel in Pittsboro.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Phil’s memory can be made to the following organizations:

North Carolina Coastal Federation: 

https://bit.ly/3lqpcDF 

Pancreatic Cancer Action Network:

https://bit.ly/3yOY0RW