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This holiday season, Newtown Edgmont Friends & Neighbors is pleased to introduce you to The Puliti Family: Brian, Meaghan, Owen, Luke, Evan,
Rhett and Tessa. This active family of seven certainly knows how to enjoy life and appreciate family, friends and our community.
Brian grew up nearby in Broomall with his parents and two brothers. He attended St. Anastasia for grade school and Archbishop Carroll High School. Brian was an active kid who enjoyed baseball, basketball, soccer and swimming. He grew up on the same street as the Marple Newtown Swim Club and was a lifeguard in high school.
After graduation, Brian headed to Penn State University, where he earned his undergraduate degree in finance. Brian said he feels fortunate that he was offered a position with Vanguard shortly after graduating from Penn State. “I started my career as a fund financial associate, earned my MBA in finance and real estate from Villanova University with Vanguard’s support and worked my way up to senior product manager in advice,” he explained. “I found a company that matches my values and enjoy creating experiences that help people achieve their financial goals.”
Meaghan is originally from Aston, where she grew up with her parents, two brothers and two sisters, who all still happen to live in Delaware County. She attended St. Joseph’s Catholic grade school, where she played basketball, soccer, softball and ran track. Meaghan then graduated from Cardinal O’Hara High School before becoming a Nittany Lion herself, where she earned her degree in Accounting from Penn State.
Meaghan began her career as an accountant at Deloitte, a company that provides audit, consulting, tax and advisory services to many of the world’s most admired brands. The job was based in San Diego, CA, but after a few years, Meaghan accepted a position back on the East Coast with Capitol One. “I loved living and working in San Diego,” Meaghan said. “But by that point, Brian and I had been together a few years; I knew he had no desire to move west, and I also really missed my family, so I came back home.”
We are about to embark on a love story that began at Penn State University, though Meaghan’s Aunt Patty will tell you she is the original matchmaker behind their romance. “Growing up, Brian and I didn’t know each other, but my Aunt Patty knew Brian and his family because she lived right across the street from them,” Meaghan explained. “One day during the summer before leaving for college, Aunt Patty tried to convince Brian to take my number because she knew I was also going to Penn State.” Brian said that he politely declined because he thought it might seem a little odd for him to randomly reach out to a girl he didn’t know. So, he and Meaghan never connected before they headed to college, and the rest, you would think, was history.
But, Aunt Patty threw it out to the universe, and fate understood the assignment. It’s no secret that Penn State’s main campus is impressive, having over 45,000 students enrolled at that time. The odds of meeting and falling in love were certainly not in their favor. Still, it only took a couple of months in Happy Valley before mutual friends introduced Meaghan and Brian during an Economics class with a whopping 730 students!
“A few weeks into dating, we started talking about where we lived and who we might know from our hometowns,” Brian said. “Meaghan asked me where I lived in Broomall, and when I told her, she realized that I grew up across the street from her Aunt and Uncle!” Brian and Meaghan both laughed when they recalled talking about how they probably crossed paths a few times when they were younger at neighborhood gatherings and at Marple Newtown Swim Club.
The happy couple got engaged on a snowy December evening in Philadelphia. “Brian was living in Philadelphia at the time, and we had planned on going to a friend’s holiday party. At least, that’s what I was told,” laughed Meaghan. “I remember the slippery drive up I-95 from my parents’ house. I kept calling Brian, saying I wasn’t sure we should go because the roads were getting bad.” Needless to say, despite the frigid temperatures, Brian’s palms were sweaty, thinking that his plan to propose would be put on ice.
Thankfully, Meaghan made it safely into the city. As she and Brian walked through Rittenhouse Square, which was beautifully decorated for the holidays, Brian dropped to one knee and asked Meaghan to be his wife. “I told a few friends of my plan ahead of time, and they made sure to be strategically positioned in the park to capture the moment perfectly,” Brian said. “It ended up being the perfect night. We celebrated with our friends in the city, then made our way back to Meaghan’s parents’ house later that night.”
Wedding plans were underway, and in November 2014, Meaghan and Brian tied the knot at the Crystal Tea Room in Philadelphia. “We got married on Black Friday. Being that it was the day after Thanksgiving, we weren’t sure how many of our guests would be able to make it,” Meaghan said. “It turned out that everyone we invited was feeling extra festive, so we happily celebrated with 350 of our closest family and friends!” The party continued all weekend before the newlyweds took off to spend their honeymoon in Hawaii.
When they returned, Brian and Meaghan settled into a home they had purchased in Edgmont earlier that year. When asked why they chose Edgmont, they said they wanted to be close to their families and that the house they found was the perfect midpoint. “We fell in love with the Runnymeade Farms development,” Meaghan said. “There is such a genuine neighborhood feel, and Brian and I just knew it was the perfect place to raise a family.”
Two years later, Meaghan and Brian welcomed their son, Owen, to the family. He is now eight and in second grade at St. Mary Magdalen. “Owen has the biggest heart and is the ultimate hype-man,” Brian said. “He’s always cheering the loudest for everyone else’s birthdays and loves to get excited over his siblings’ Christmas gifts before opening his own.” Meaghan added that Owen has the most infectious personality and a knack for convincing others that things such as playing a backyard wiffle ball game or even cleaning up the basement can be the best things in the world!
Next up is six-year-old Luke, a fun-loving Kindergarten student at St. Mary Magdalen. Luke is the comedian of the house who loves to make silly faces and reply to questions by talking in silly accents. “I have to say Luke has really perfected the Australian accent that he learned by watching a family-favorite cartoon series, Bluey,” Meaghan said. “Luke is also smart as a whip and remembers everything!”
And just one year later, Meaghan and Brian welcomed their Super Mario-loving son, Evan, to the Pulitti family. Like his big brothers, Evan attends St. Mary Magdalen and is a Pre-K student there. “Evan is kind and gentle,” Meaghan said. “He loves his baby sister, baby cousins and pretty much all babies.”
Brian added that Evan is extremely inquisitive and asks the best, most poignant questions that you don’t typically hear from a five-year-old. “Evan’s teachers are always telling us how entertained and stumped they are by his insightfulness.”
Three-year-old Rhett, aka Captain America, is Brian and Meaghan’s charming, spunky, wild child. He currently attends a two-day program at Reformation Nursery School but enjoys dropping his older brothers off at St. Mary Magdalen dressed as Captain America, or “Cap” as he calls himself. Meaghan said that Rhett “loves things with passion but equally dislikes things with passion.” His parents both agree that Rhett’s three-year-old energy is unmatched, but ultimately, he’s a homebody at heart, always wanting everyone to stay together at home.
Most would think that after having four boys in a row, the chances of having a girl would be as slim as Aunt Patty’s match-making mission, right? Well, it seemed as if Brian and Meaghan thought so, too. “We never found out the gender of any of our babies ahead of time,” Meaghan said. “So when we learned we were expecting another little one, we just assumed it would be a boy.” Brian said that in the past, family members from both
sides would gather at the hospital to wait for him to emerge with either a pink onesie or a blue onesie drawn on a posterboard with the new baby’s name, weight and height. “When it came time for Meaghan to pack her bag for the hospital to give birth to our fifth child, we seriously contemplated leaving the pink posterboard at home,” he laughed. “It was a total last-minute decision to throw it in the bag.”
This time around, Meaghan and Brian’s families opted to wait for the news from home while caring for the couple’s four boys. “It was wild,” Meaghan said. “The doctor was waiting for Brian to tell me it was a girl, but he was in such shock that I swear it took a full minute for the words to come out of his mouth!” Once reality set in, Brian dug out the now eight-year-old posterboard, grabbed his phone and shared the news with their families through a FaceTime call.
The little girl who surprised them all and immediately stole their hearts is one-year-old Tessa. “Tessa is the happiest little girl around,” Meaghan said. “She has the biggest smile that always lights up the dinner table.” Her parents agree that Tessa already knows she’s the boss of the family and that all of her big brothers are smitten with her!
Life with five kids is nothing short of busy for Meaghan and Brian. “Meaghan has the hardest job in the world as a stay-at-home mother of five,” Brian said. Meaghan certainly agreed but said she feels so privileged to experience it all, even when life is absolutely exhausting. “Getting to see and live through all the parts of my kids’ lives is so special,” she said. “I cherish it all – the good, the bad, the hard, the fun and the messy.” These days, Meaghan finds time to volunteer as a homeroom parent, helps with various school activities and enjoys spending time fueling a passion for interior design and decorating in her own home as well as special requests from friends and family.
Family time is equally important for Brian, and that is why, in his spare time, you’ll find him coaching his boys on their various sports teams. “I grew up in the area and played baseball for Marple Township Little League,” Brian said. “My boys play for Newtown Edgmont Little League (NELL) and I am proud to be a part of their little league experience and consider NELL to be the best of the best.” Brian also coaches his sons in basketball and loves spending time with them watching professional sports and fostering a love for our Philadelphia teams.
It’s hard to imagine it’s easy to travel as a family of seven, but when the Puliti’s want to get away, they head to their favorite spots at the Jersey shore. Meaghan’s parents have a house in Sea Isle and Brian’s parents recently bought a home in Ocean City. Meaghan and Brian just celebrated their ten-year anniversary and are looking forward to planning a special getaway for the two of them this winter. Meaghan said, “We have grandparents
on both sides anxiously waiting to take the kids at a moment’s notice, so we better take advantage of the opportunity!”
But no matter how hectic life can get, home here in Edgmont is where the Puliti’s heads and their hearts rest easy. “We love our neighbors and this community,” Meaghan and Brian said. “It’s a special place where there are always fun family activities, we are welcomed with open arms and it’s where our neighbors have become our close friends.”
Thank you, Brian, Meaghan and the kids for sharing your story with our Newtown Edgmont Friends & Neighbors. We wish you all the best and hope you have a happy, healthy holiday season!
Do you know a Newtown Edgmont family, individual or nonprofit group who should become known by our community? Make your nominations for upcoming feature articles by emailing your ideas to Sheila Turner-Hilliard at STurnerHilliard@BestVersionMedia.com.