I am so sorry for your loss. Phil was a brilliant and gifted storyteller and filmmaker. He cast me in his film TILT and later wrote a short film “ Betty” the character I played in TILT. I am very thankful and grateful to have been able to work with Phil. He was so talented but more importantly so very patient and kind.

May your memories bring you peace.

Janet Fogg

I am so sad to hear of Phil's passing. My heart goes out to Millie, Henrie, Sue, and his family.

I graduated with Phil and our lockers were always side by side (Holbrook/Hoffmann). God, he was a delightful, intelligent, hilarious human. I didn't know him well, but I adored my locker neighbor. 

One memory I've shared with my own teen daughers--because it's one of my favorite junior high snapshots--is Phil's Halloween costume when we were in 8th or 9th grade over at Franklin Jr. High. He came to school dressed as a bag of groceries, holes cut into the sides of a brown paper bag for his arms and a few typical grocery items peeking through the top alongside his head. 

I can't unsee this--Phil's brilliant, infectious smile that just made a person feel good, all tucked in a bag of groceries. Clever dude.

When I had a store downtown Brainerd back in the early '00s,  Phil would come in to buy Moleskine notebooks, and we'd talk a bit about books, music, movies. I was thrilled to hear of his work on Tilt a few years later.

I know his creative talents live on in Millie and Henrie.  

I went to  school with Phil in Brainerd. While I moved away there are those faces and people who stay with you in your life. I’m happy to say Phil was one of them. I remember him as a very kind soul with a love for laughter. The way his face would look when he laughed always brought joy and laughter to me and others around him. He was a guy to admire. Always. 

It saddens me to know he left so early, but I’m sure he left good things for his children so they know who he was and that he remains through them. 

Bye old friend. Thanks for crossing paths.

I am so very sorry for your loss Millie, Henrie and Sue. Phil was an amazing and truly unforgettable person. I remember visiting you when Millie had just been born and how proud he was and then of Henrie. I remember talking about movies and when he was working on making Tilt. The times you came to visit us in Hutchinson and when we came to Brainerd.  Myself Maddy and Isabel are all praying for you and that you hold on to his love for you. The love will always be there. ❤️

 Phil was an important part of my life journey. Although I haven’t seen or spoken to him in many years, I still remember how he was always ready with a quick laugh and that he reminded me not to take myself so seriously. One of the bits of wisdom he shared that I still carry with me is to ask myself if am I really trying to do the right thing or if I am just trying to be right. We had plenty of “discussions” where we were both trying to do the latter ☺️

Also, although we never interacted because I was much younger than him, I originally met Phil when I was five years old. He was a bigger boy in the neighborhood who could do cool tricks on his bike. He would ride his bike down Cedar St. In Brainerd with it leaned so far to the side that it was parallel to the ground. Of course I thought he was awesome.