Philip Charles Allesandro

Philip Charles Allesandro passed away on July 15, 2024, at the age of 69 surrounded by his loving family. Phil was born on August 11, 1954, in Pueblo, CO before moving to Santa Fe, NM at the age of 5. He graduated from St Michaels High School in Santa Fe in 1972. While attending St Michaels he became a state championship wrestler and also earned the rank of Eagle Scout. He is preceded in death by his parents, Edward Allesandro and Ann Allesandro Mares, and his sister, Annie Allesandro.

Phil is survived by his devoted wife, Charmaine, Kirkland Allesandro. They would have been married 49 years on August 6, 2024. He is also survived by his sons Jason (Katie), Justin (Amy), and Jeffrey Allesandro; grandchildren Dylan, Ross, Madelyn, Maddox, Maverick, Jake, and Maya Allesandro.

After graduating High School, Phil moved to New Orleans where he would attend and earn his Bachelor’s Degree in management from the University of New Orleans. After receiving his degree he would go on to have an extremely successful career working at Pitney Bowes, a Fortune 500 corporation, for the next 41 years. He held several different roles throughout his tenure which included sales and management positions. His last official title before retiring was the Regional Account Executive over the document messaging technology division.

Phil had several hobbies which consisted of fishing, playing golf, gardening, and watching a variety of sports with his sons and grandsons. His favorite though, was soccer, as he had become a huge fan watching his sons, and later his grandkids play. In addition, he was a huge LSU and Saints fan. He also volunteered his time to coach in St. Charles Parish with baseball and basketball and The Miracle League of New Orleans. In addition to volunteering for coaching he also was a proud volunteer of the PGA tournament now known as Zurich classic for over 40 years. His sons would later join him in the tradition where they would all Marshall the 10th hole during the tournament. Phil was also an exceptional gardener who had two green thumbs and took pride in having a beautiful, flourishing garden.

Phil ultimately succumbed to Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) after receiving a bilateral lung transplant in 2022 that extended his life a little over another 2 years. This was made possible by his pulmonary team at Tulane Medical Center led by Dr. Lasky who was instrumental in helping Phil get a referral for the transplant. The transplant was performed and led by Dr. Loor of the lung transplant team at Baylor St. Luke’s Hospital in Houston, TX. Other instrumental doctors involved in extending Phil’s life included Dr. Li, Dr. Segraves, and Dr. Garcha. Numerous other doctors, nurses, and therapists aided Phil during his rehabilitation and in his final fighting days provided him with the best possible care a person could receive. The family wishes to express their heartfelt thanks and gratitude to everyone they encountered throughout Phil’s miracle journey. After being diagnosed, Phil became an advocate to help spread awareness about the incurable disease of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). He was adamant about his family helping to continue to support their mission and create awareness and encouraged everyone to educate themselves as there are ways to slow the progression if it is detected early.

Phil’s life was filled with so many blessings and he was very appreciative of that. He knew the value of life and was incredibly thankful to his donor and the donor’s family. Phil’s sister who had passed away at a very young age was also an organ donor. So it was only fitting that he made sure he would also be a donor and offer the gift to others upon his passing. He will be greatly missed and remembered as a kind, loving, hardworking, faithful son, husband, father, grandfather, uncle, cousin, and friend to so many.

Phil asked in his final days in lieu of flowers to have people please donate to help the fight against IPF. You can follow the link below https://ipffoundation.org/donations/708-2/

Relatives and friends are invited to attend the Funeral Mass at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, 13396 River Rd., Destrehan, Louisiana on Monday, August 5, 2024 at 11:30 am. Visitation will begin at 10-11:30. Following the mass interment will take place at the church cemetery.

To view and sign the online guest book, please visit www.lakelawnmetairie.com