Friends share memories of Isaac Phillips of New Ipswich

One of Isaac Phillips’ best friends, Evelynn Shippee, said Isaac was known for a “very unfiltered” sense of humor, and always making everyone laugh.

“We grew up together, and he felt like an older brother to me,” Evelynn said, noting that Isaac would always hold the fact that he was eight days older than her over her head.

Isaac, the 15-year-old boy for whom New Ipswich has been decorated with yellow ribbons over the past several months, died July 12 at home in New Ipswich after a long fight with a rare form of cancer.

Isaac had been fighting synovial sarcoma since 2021. He was an active child, playing soccer, basketball and baseball until his cancer diagnosis and surgeries began limiting his mobility, after which he took up video gaming, Pokemon Go, collecting Pokemon trading cards, building Legos and reading.

He leaves behind his parents, Chris and Debbie Phillips; a brother, Chuck, 17; and a sister, Pippa, 12.

Shippee recalled his sometimes silly and teasing nature, making her watch medical shows with him because he knew she had a fear of needles, popping wheelies in his wheelchair and regularly breaking out into “I Kissed a Girl” by Katy Perry.

“He was such an amazing person, and the world won’t be the same without him,” Evelynn said.

Evelynn’s mother, Jennifer Shippee, said of Isaac, “He was one of those kids that not only did all his peers love him, he was the kid that all the parents loved, too. I never once saw his face without a smile. He certainly left our family better for having gotten to know and love him.”

Meg Tousley, who was Isaac’s eighth-grade math teacher, described him as “funny, sweet and kind.”

“He had so much personality,” said Tousley. “I knew who he was before I ever had him in class. In the hallways, he would greet anyone.”

Amy Hill, who helped to tutor Isaac the summer before his seventh-grade year, said she quickly found that Isaac was more than ready for school, despite the challenges of his illness, and was more interested in spending his summer playing basketball than math.

“Our tutor sessions turned into competitive battles and games of PIG on an indoor hoop at the school,” Hill recalled. “As much as I’d like to say I beat him regularly, I can’t. He talked so much trash and caused so much distraction, I could barely score a single point.”

Hill said over the years, she has been struck by Isaac’s “fierce determination, incredible strength, his will to fight and his ability to bring our community together in such an amazing way.”

The community has shown support for Isaac and the Phillips family in several ways, including hosting “Go Gold” nights, hanging and painting gold bows all around town, gold ribbon pins worn by the town’s baseball and softball teams and raising funds for Isaac’s bucket list.

“Isaac’s last months were a mix of tears about what was to come, belly laughs at the fun moments we had together as a family, and special moments together trying to enjoy the little things, the glimmers of happiness we sometimes have to search for on hard days,” reads Isaac’s obituary, written by his mother and father and shared with the Ledger-Transcript. “As a family, we tried hard to fulfill his bucket list items, but were limited in our ability due to how quickly his cancer progressed. We are so proud of the son we raised and the role we had in caring for him. It was an honor to be his parents.”

Tousley recalled a special moment on the class trip to Washington, D.C., when Isaac was selected to replace the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, along with two other students. With help from his teacher and his mother, he made it up the steps to perform the ceremony, and Tousley said the soldier who was leading the ceremony asked to shake Isaac’s hand at the end of it.

“He recognized what that kid was going through and how strong he was,” Tousley said. “If there was ever a kid that deserved a long, happy life, he was it. He made everyone laugh. I wouldn’t have given up having him in class for anything.”

Isaac was paired up with the Fitchburg State University’s men’s ice hockey team as part of Team IMPACT, an organization that matches children facing serious illness and disability with college sports teams. Isaac loved to be part of the team through their journey to winning the division championship.

Freddy Soderburg, the team’s goalie, said Isaac was “always positive,” and had a cutting wit.

“He also showed no mercy in anything competitive, which was amazing,” he said. “My favorite things, besides the time I got to spend with him, were just how fun and witty he was, every chance he got.”

Soderburg recalled his first meeting with Isaac, when Isaac asked right away if Soderburg was the goalie.

“I replied with, ‘Yes, I am.’ And he immediately called me weird, without thinking twice about it,” he said.

Another teammate, Max Macchioni, said that Isaac made an impact on the team.

“I know walking into a locker room of a bunch of college hockey players you haven’t met before can be very intimidating, especially for a young kid, but Isaac seemed to be right at home,” he said. “Whether that be joking around on the bench with us during practice or giving us some tough love motivation in between periods of games. Although he was just a kid, he truly had a mature spirit in all aspects of life, but especially in his sense of humor.”

Calling hours will be held for Isaac at the Hope Fellowship Church in Jaffrey on Wednesday, July 23, from 5 to 8 p.m. People can come as they are or wear purple in honor of Isaac. A celebration of life and private burial dates will be scheduled at a later time.

The Phillips family plans to create a scholarship in Isaac’s honor for local students entering the medical field. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Mascenic Booster Club, David’s House in Lebanon or the Pediatric Oncology Fund for Families at Massachusetts General Hospital.