MARQUETTE, MI-- A bright, steady light in downtown Marquette has gone out.
Phil Niemisto, longtime window washer and flower tender, died Sunday. He was 88. According to Brian Cabell’s “Word on the Street,” Phil passed peacefully at his apartment, surrounded by people who loved him.
Over the past 35 years Phil could be seen cleaning store windows, shoveling snow, and planting flowers in the Pocket Park, which was eventually named for him. A statue of Phil sitting on a park bench was unveiled last year.
Phil spent some time in the hospital earlier this month. He was sent home with hospice workers and a list of more than 50 friends who volunteered to stay with him round the clock.
Phil Niemisto will be missed by many.
To read Brian Cabell's full article, click here.
