Phillip C. Locher, 1935-2011

LOCHER, DIENER, ARCOUET, CALLAHAN, CASEY, ROBILLARD, LALA, HANSON, JANISSE

Posted By: cheryl moonen (email)
Date: 2/25/2015 at 22:07:38

Dubuque Telegraph Herald - October 4, 2011

FARLEY, Iowa -- Phillip C. Locher, 105 4th Ave NE, Farley, died at 5:35 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, 2011, at his home in Farley.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Farley, with the Rev. Dennis Cain officiating. Burial will be in St. Joseph's Cemetery, Farley. Friends may call from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5, at Reiff Funeral Home, Farley, where there will be a wake service at 5 p.m.

Phillip was born on June 24, 1935, at 527 W. Seventh St., in Dubuque, the youngest of six children of Harry H. Locher (Attorney) and (Mary) Laraine Callahan, and attended St. Raphael's Elementary School. At the age of seven, he moved with his parents to San Francisco, where he attended St. Agnes, St. Ann's and St. Monica's elementary schools and sold newspapers after school. He then attended Sacred Heart High School and later San Francisco Community College.

He traveled through the United States and Mexico as a young man and worked odd jobs. After returning to San Francisco, he met and married Diane D. MacDonald on May 17, 1959, in Reno, Nev., and worked for the city and county of San Francisco in the street planting division of the Department of Public Works for 17 years. During his tenure, he planted approximately 10,000 trees in the city.

Phillip later married JoAnn Casey, of San Francisco, and worked as a counselor for drug, alcohol and spousal abuse. With his colleagues, he co-founded the Upper Hand, an organization dedicated to helping people with anger management issues and remained actively involved in Alcoholic's Anonymous for more than 30 years.

In 1987, Phillip returned to Dubuque to help care for his mother, Laraine, who was living with her son, David Locher, in the Langworthy district. After restoring his mother's grandparent's (Louis Napoleon Arcouet, shoemaker, and his wife, Marguerite Robillard) historic rock house at 105 Fourth Ave NE, in Farley, Phillip worked at Turning Point in Dubuque as a counselor for drug and alcohol abuse. He later moved to Hawaii for several years to be closer to his children and worked as a director and counselor for Castle Outpatient Treatment Center, but eventually returned to Farley to help care for his brother, David, when he became ill. He retired in 1997 and remained in Farley, but would travel to Kona, Hawaii, to be with his daughter, Roxanne, during the winter months, as Phil battled with diabetes in recent years.

Phillip had many personal interests outside his long career helping people as a psychological therapist and counselor. In his spare time, Phillip was a big-time fan of the cinema and a collector of Hollywood memorabilia and personally corresponded with numerous actors and actresses. He had an incredible sense of humor, talent as a voice mimic and impersonator and had small parts in movies filmed in the Dubuque area. He was an avid reader of ancient and contemporary history, anthropology, archeology, mythology and Native American culture. He was an avid collector of books, archeological artifacts, and antiques who would often frequent flea markets, estate and garage sales in his quest for collectibles. He was a wonderful storyteller with a radiant personality that entertained and brought joy to those who were close to him and knew him well. His character, integrity, loving heart and radiant spirit was unsurpassed. Phillip lived an honest, righteous life and was loved by all who knew him.

He leaves behind his daughter, Roxanne Carol (Isaac) Locher, of Captain Cook, Kona, Hawaii; a son, Christopher Phillip (Nicole) Locher, of Lexington, Mass.; a stepson, John Lala, of Cotati, Calif.; three grandchildren, Annie Hanson, of Captain Cook, and Ryan and Charlotte Locher, both of Lexington; nieces, Rosie Janisse, of Gallatin, Tenn., Leah Diener, of Dubuque, and Mary Diener of Bloomington, Ind.; nephews, William Locher, of Oconomourr, Wis., Thomas Locher, of West Bend, Wis., and Harry Locher, of Fayetteville, Ga.; and numerous other family members in the tri-state area.

He was preceded in death by his parents; three sisters, Mary Laraine "Mid" Diener, Carol M. Locher and Phyllis A. Locher, both in infancy; and two brothers, William T. Locher and David A. Locher.