Phillip Michael Isaacs

We regretfully announce that, after a lifetime spent convincing all in his acquaintance
that he was probably immortal, our father, Phillip 'Phill' Michael Isaacs, finally gave up
the bit on 30 April 2025 in Philadelphia, PA. He was 73.

Phill was born on 24 July 1951 in Saint John, New Brunswick and experienced a
childhood akin to Huck Finn's in nearby Fairvale. His children were regularly delighted
to find, upon much later retellings, that the wild characters from his stories were none
other than their father. Although he became more reasonable as an adult, Phill always
kept the mischievous glint in his eyes.

To the surprise of many who knew him as a child, Phill became a dedicated, lifelong
educator and passionate advocate for his students and fellow teachers. He thrived in
classrooms throughout Canada and the United States. He taught Shakespeare to
children, convinced adult English learners to sing Janis Joplin, and joined literacy
programs in underserved communities.

His unparalleled love for film, poetry, art, and Frank Zappa was infectious if not
occasionally bewildering. More than anything, he taught everyone he encountered to
not take life so seriously. He knew half of you half as well as he should have liked; and
liked less than half of you half as well as you deserved.

Dad was a natural humanist and bad driver who believed in the innate goodness of
people. Hopelessness was foreign to him. His boundless energy, love for others, and
dogged life-long belief in the Montreal Canadiens inevitable return to glory will carry all
who loved him through this difficult time.

Phillip is predeceased by his beloved wife (Twilah Richardson), parents (Eleanor née
McGuire and Richard Isaacs), brother (Richard 'Rick' Isaacs), and best friend (Robert
'Bobby' Brooks).

He is survived by his children Phillip (Devon), Sarah (James), Meghan (Nicholas), and
honorary daughter Claudi (Alex); cherished grandchildren Bradyn, Parker, Charlie, and
Amelia; siblings Patricia, David (Denise), Sean (Sue), sister-in-law Holly, and Zetta;
numerous nieces and nephews; generations of previous students; and countless friends
throughout the world.

In line with his sincere belief that we are all given but one precious life to live, we ask
you to share stories with your loved ones on his behalf. During moments of quiet
happiness, Phill liked to quote Vonnegut in saying "If this isn't nice, I don't know what
is". He will continue to laugh at all who mourn his passing. We will continue to mourn
him despite that.

In lieu of flowers or other condolences, we ask that donations be made in Phillip's name
to one of the following foundations that reflect his passions:

https://www.musicopia.net/donate2

https://beyondliteracy.org/donate/

Funeral arrangements to be announced by his children at a later date.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Phillip Michael Isaacs, please visit our floral store.