Leaving a Legacy: Phil Quillin

Phil Quillin, a 1954 Aquinas Alumnus, was an extradentary man dedicated to making a world he lived in a better place. He loved his business, his church, his family, and Aquinas Catholic Schools. Those of us who knew him are better for having known him.

A man committed to learning and supporting what he believed, Phil demonstrated that commitment to education through working with the Holy Trinity Men's Club, serving as a business instructor for the first Supermarket Management course at Western Wisconsin Technical Institute in the late 1960s, and serving as president and board member of the Aquinas Foundation of Aquinas Catholic Schools, for which he received the Bishop John Paul Distinguished Alumni Award.

Phil was an invaluable asset and sounding board during the Aquinas facility expansion and the addition of the middle school. Jim Vail recalls that Phil was a bit of a traditionalist, but also a man with a savvy vision. In fact, Jim called Phil "consigliere" during those pivotal years from 1990-1997 because Phil was his main "go-to" guy whose steady hand offered guidance and wisdom when it was most needed. Says Vail, "Phil had a great vision and the skills to get things done. Nobody taught me better than Phil Quillin."

In honor of Phil's innovation dedication to Aquinas Catholic Schools, his family has chosen to direct his memorial gifts towards the establishment of a Distance Learning Center at Aquinas High School. This will open doors to new and alternative genres of learning for our students. Additionally, as a business, Quillen's will enhance the high school computer lab by replacing 30 computers in Phil's name. As a result of this gift, our students will excel in their new server environment.

Phil's family and friends will miss him. His spirited commitment to faith, family and friendship, matched his dedication to community, education, and investing in the future. Phil enjoyed life, and he had an Irish smile for everyone. The impact Phil made on so many in his lifetime challenges those who remain to respond to others' needs with this diligence and good cheer.

"May the road rise up to meet you...And until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of his hand."