Tree planted in memory of Phylicia Council, Hillside employee killed in Rochester mass shooting

HENRIETTA, N.Y. — About 40 people came together at Hillside Children’s Center’s group home in Henrietta on Wednesday to plant a tree in Phylicia Council’s honor.

Council was one of two women killed in the mass shooting at Maplewood Park in Rochester in July. She worked for Hillside for five years.

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“Phylicia was a very special person, she was a very special employee, she was a very special friend to many of us,” said Maria Cristalli, President and CEO of Hillside Family of Agencies. “She was a very special mother, a very special daughter, a very special sister, and we wanted to honor her in a way that would be lasting.”

The tree planted in Council’s memory is a Japanese Lilac, which will bloom each year around the anniversary of her death.

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