Seth Phillips

Seth Robert Phillips of St. Paul, 93, died April 25, 2015. An athlete and graduate of Denfeld HS in Duluth, Seth served as a WWII pilot in the Pacific Theater. He married Patricia Roberts and had four children. He represented Cass County in the MN House from 1955-56 and graduated in 1961 from the U of MN Law School. Seth was the Executive Secretary of the St. Paul Fair Employment Practices Commission from 1961-67, which he helped transform into the St. Paul Human and Civil Rights Commission. As Co-Chairman of the National Association of Intergroup Relations Officials, Seth drafted model federal civil rights legislation which passed at their 1963 convention, much of which became part of the federal Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1965. He went into private practice of law, was divorced and, in 1980, married his present wife Lorraine Blake and had twins. Seth worked as an arbitrator, assistant director of Ramsey Washington County Resource Recovery Project, then worked as a consultant until his retirement. He loved his family and friends, music (especially bassoon), chess, horses, dogs, trains and peace. Seth was an indefatigable advocate for justice, equality and the underdog. Preceded in death by parents Martin and Bertha Cottingham Phillips; siblings Leland, Norma Carkhuff and Jessie Anderson; and daughter Roberta. Survived by his wife of 34 years, Lorraine; ex-wife Patricia; children Vicky (Rich) Hickson, Seth Phillips III, Cassandra (Albis) Murillo, Bevan and Martin Phillips; stepchildren Torben (Angela) Kiese, and Dara Kiese; grandchildren Evelyn (Michael) Egstad and Renee (Richard) Butkus; step grandchildren Dylan Kiese and Arlo Cyran; and great-grandchildren Richard, Raymond & Emma Butkus. SERVICE: Memorial service at 7 p.m. May 22 in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2335 Edgerton St., Little Canada, Minn. A celebration of Seth’s life will be held the following day at 5 p.m. May 23 at Jimmy’s Food & Drink Event Center, 3565 Labore Rd., Vadnais Heights, MN (light refreshments).