Obituary of Philip R. Jaeger

Philip R. Jaeger, Zion, Ill., died Oct. 26, 2020, at St. Francis Hospital following an aggressive return of leukemia. He was born on Aug. 20, 1948, in Cedar Rapids, IA, the son of the late Ray C. and Rose E. (Meadows) Jaeger. They later settled in Zion and he graduated from Zion Benton High School in 1966. He graduated from Carthage College in 1970 with a BA with honors in English and Speech. He received his Master of Arts degree from Northwestern University in 1972. As a child, Philip spent as much time as he could at the movie theaters immersing his imagination in whatever story Hollywood had to tell. This was the beginning of his passion for the theater and his obsession with movie memorabilia/trivia. Phil was known throughout regional community theater as an actor, director and mentor. His final curtain call took place in March just before the COVID emergency shut down theaters. He reprised his role as George in Lakeside Players production of Death of a Streetcar Named Virginia Wolf. Phil treasured classical dramatic theater but some of his finest performances were in comedy. Philip is survived by a niece, Denise Dodd of Phoenix, a nephew and several great-nieces and nephews as well as his significant theater families at Lakeside Players, P, M & L, and RG Productions among others throughout southeastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. “Uncle Phil” will be greatly missed by his Tappa-Mattner family. He was preceded in death by a sister Bronwen and a nephew Gregory. Given the risk of additional loss and illness, there will be no gathering to memorialize Phil at this time. Memorial contributions can be made to a thespian college scholarship fund to be created in his memory, c/o Lakeside Players, In Memory of Phil, 514 56 Street, Kenosha, WI 53140.