Lawrence (Larry) Earl Phillips, 70, of Jamestown, ND, beloved Father and Brother, was called to his eternal resting place on September 12, 2018. He entered this world on April 10, 1948 in New York City, NY, born to Arthur and Peggy Phillips.

Schools included Northedge School in Long Island, NY, Central High School in Fargo, and North Dakota State University. Larry had a lifelong love for the fire service. At age 3 his father placed him in front of an FDNY pumper at Engine Company 241 and he instantly knew that all things fire related were going to be his passion for the rest of his life.

Larry was a training officer for the Jamestown Fire Department from 1972 to 1980. He was an active member of the Jamestown Rural Fire Department since 1982. He was the current President and Charter Member of the James River Firefighters Association. He became a regional seven-state fire/rescue instructor, teaching classes in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Montana, Wyoming and Nebraska. He started his own company, Signal 10 Group, in Jamestown and was Chief Instructor at Northwest Region Fire/Rescue, where he carried a Level IV instructor rating through the state of Minnesota. Larry's reputation, dedication and expertise of the fire service community was highly respected around the country.

In addition to his respect for the fire service, Larry was also passionate about his model fire truck collection and photography. He was a long time columnist for Toy Trucker and Contractor Magazine and three time author of American LaFrance Photo Archives. His collection represents everything from the early 1800s cast-iron horse-drawn models to the modern Fire Replicas museum-grade detailed models. His prize possession was his 1948 American LaFrance Fire Truck. His collection also includes an extensive reference library of materials from 9-11. With firefighter friends at the scene in New York City that day, Larry was particularly close to this tragedy.

Larry is preceded in death by his parents and many brothers and sisters in the fire service. He is survived by his daughters Sarah Galbraith (Frank Galbraith) and Erin Phillips (Jill Gerszewski);and brother Art Phillips Jr (Mary Ann Phillips).

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Nassau County Francis X. Pendl Fire Museum, www.ncfiremuseum.org