Phyllis Louise Hagar

HAGAR, Phyllis Louise
Born in 1925 in Boston, MA. She passed away August 28, 2009 after a prolonged illness. Phyllis completed her teaching degree at Northern Arizona University and married Kenneth Hagar. The couple moved to Sacramento where they began a family. Phyllis taught in elementary schools and Kenneth became a junior high school vice principal. In the 1960s and 1970s, Phyllis developed a lifelong passion for public policy advocacy. She was a tireless writer to the opinion pages of The Sacramento Bee, and to local and national politicians. She communicated with the likes of a young Ted Kennedy, warned California lawmakers about prison overcrowding in the 1970s and testified about mental health in front of numerous legislative committees. She was well respected for being honest, articulate and tireless. Phyllis was a board member of the Mental Health Association of Sacramento and a lifelong member of the Sacramento affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. She received numerous awards for her work in this arena. She leaves behind her husband of nearly 60 years, Kenneth Hagar; eldest son Randall Hagar who is the Dir. of Govt. Affairs for the California Psychiatric Assn., and Steven Hagar who inherited his mother's horticultural skills and upon whom Phyllis depended in the final years of her life as health failed her. She was preceded in death by her youngest son, Clifford.There will be a public memorial celebration of her life on Thursday, Sept. 24 at 4:30pm at the Sierra 2 Center, 2791 24th St. The family asks that remembrances of Phyllis be made to NAMI Sacramento, 3321 Power Inn Rd # 110 Sacramento, CA 95826 to support families and consumers of mental health services.