Renee Y. (Phipps) Tolgo

Renee Y. Tolgo, age 73, passed away on December 14, 2024 at Curry House in Cadillac, Michigan.

She was born on September 26, 1951, the second of four children of Robert and Madonna (Brown) Phipps. After graduating from Clio High School in 1969, she was employed at the Secretary of State Office, then became a teller for Citizens Bank in Flushing for several years. In 1982, she married Joe Tolgo, a teacher in Marion, and moved north to the Marion / Tustin area. She worked as a teacher aide at Marion Elementary school for over twenty years, and played a key role in developing the art room segment of the “choice” program at the school.

Playing in the Clio Creek with friends in the summer, near her parent’s house, was a favorite pastime as a child. There was also sledding down the hill in the back yard in winter and enjoying the snow forts her dad made for the kids. Summertime brought family camping, kicked off by the annual clan F.U.M.P. campout near Gaylord on Mother’s Day weekend. Joe and Renee continued the camping and travel tradition, traveling to 47 states and 22 countries over the years.

Renee wrote a book about their 2013 journey to Romania to search for Joe’s long-lost cousins. They enjoyed a wonderful month-long adventure there, and met over twenty relatives. Joe just completed his book about the 2013 visit and also the return trips there in 2014 and 2017. Joe and Renee were snowbirds for more than ten years, enjoying the seafood and white sand beaches of Orange Beach, Alabama. They enjoyed bird watching at home and in their travels, especially the spring nesting at High Island near Galveston, Texas.

Their house is decorated like an art museum, since Renee made stained glass for 42 years. She also created beaded bracelets, mosaics of various types, beaded suncatchers, acrylic on canvas works, and more. She just loved anything made from glass.

Renee was a great cook, most famous for bringing her taco salad to family gatherings. She devoted a lot of time and effort into maintaining and expanding her flower gardens on “Tolgo Acre,” eventually having over 140 different perennials. For several summers, Renee gathered hundreds of Monarch caterpillars, raising them in safety, away from predators, then releasing them after they transitioned into butterflies.

Renee was preceded in death by her father, Robert Phipps.

She is survived by her mother, Madonna Phipps, her husband of 42 years, Joe Tolgo, sons Jeremy (Jody) Grace and Joshua Grace, grandchildren Ezrah Grace, Oliver Grace, and Melody (Jon) Farthing, of the U.K., also recent great-grandchild Lilly Grace Farthing. Renee also has a sister, Cheri (Dave) McGlone, two brothers, Mark (Susie) Phipps, and Chad (Ning) Phipps, also several nieces and nephews. These include Natalia, Matt (Zhenyi), Nathan (Vicki), Diego, Khirissa, Catcher, Kenzie, Grace, Bryce, Owen, Justin, and Jaden. There are also many aunts, uncles, and cousins.

A memorial service will be scheduled for the Spring. In lieu of cards or flowers, please donate to cancer research or a charity of your choice.

Condolences and memories may be shared online at www.Hitesman-Holdship.com.

The family is being served by Hitesman-Holdship Funeral Home.

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