Phillip M. Lagarde

Phillip Martin Lagarde passed away on November 23, 2023 after a lengthy illness. He was born on January 21, 1948 in Duluth, Minnesota. He attended St James grade school and graduated from Duluth Cathedral HS in 1966. Phil attended a culinary arts school in Green Bay,WI. After graduation he then joined the USAF for a 6 year tour of duty where he served as an aircrew survival and protection specialist. He then attended Eastern Washington State University and received a BS in Food Science. He moved back to Minnesota later that year and worked for restaurants in Duluth, Crystal, Bloomington, St. Louis Park, Golden Valley, Minneapolis and Afton. He worked the longest at the Afton House Inn, where he oversaw Sunday brunch and meals served on the Afton-Hudson Cruise Lines for 15 years. In 2000, he took a job working the night shift at International Paper in Arden Hills where he worked as a Press Helper and he retired in 2015 from International Paper. Phillip loved to work with his hands and create things. Phillip took an ice carving class in the 1980’s and went on to ice carving for a while before he moved into working with wood. Phillip was a long term member of the North Star Scrollers Club. Phillip was recruited by Mel Hartman to help with a non-profit (TLC Toys) that made hand crafted toys for under privileged children. Phillip became very passionate about working for TLC toys. TLC Toys would send toys all over the world, as well as locally. They also would help get school supplies and donate them to schools for children. Phillip would take toys to Stillwater Police station, and Fire station so they could give the toys to children who were in stressful situations. Phillip also worked with the Prison so visiting children would have a toy to play with there and take home.