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IN MEMORY

Thomas M. Phillips - Class Of 1958

November 25, 1940 - August 22, 2011

Thomas M. Phillips passed away peacefully in the loving arms of his family at the Greenfield, WI home of his daughter, Robin Leigh Phillips, following a two year battle with cancer.

The son of Segna and Lloyd Phillips, Tom was born in Kenosha, WI where he began his career in the automotive industry as a proud member of the United Auto Workers Union, AFL-CIO, at American Motors in 1958.  Tom’s studies at University of Wisconsin-Parkside, and his brotherhood in the Washburn Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, Bristol, WI, prepared him well for his long and successful career as a manufacturing professional.  His twenty-five year employment with American Motors took him to Toledo, OH where his last position was as Manager of Corporate Quality for Jeep Corporation in 1983.  He continued his career with Sheller-Globe Corporation, Iowa City, IA where he served as Lead Quality Manager until 1986; The Becker Group, Troy, MI as Director of Quality Assurance until 1988; Signet Industries, Fraser, MI as Chief Operating Officer, until 1992; and, finally, to LexaLite International Corporation, Charlevoix, MI where he retired as President, in 1997.  Tom also served on numerous boards and industrial associations, including as President of the Charlevoix Chamber of Commerce in 1996.

Tom suffered a stroke in 1998 which left him with aphasia. In response to this challenge, he developed the website http://www.ghosters.com to help others while he successfully overcame this communication obstacle.  It was Tom’s philosophy that “our brain thinks in words, our soul thinks in music.”

In addition to his daughter Robin, Tom is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Lorelei and Daniel Moosbrugger; grandson, Alexander Kai Moosbrugger; sister, Deborah Little; former wife, Kathleen (Sturino) Brainard; father-in-law, Thomas Sturino; brothers-in-law, Guy and Martin Sturino; nephews John and Michael Pauloni; nieces Patricia Hungate, Jackie Zimmerman, Lissa Ferguson, and Mary Sambrook; and his former wife, Dianna Phillips, and their daughter, Annie Toepke.

http://www.tributes.com/obituary/show/Thomas-M.-Phillips-92229383#obituary