Noel R. Ashcroft, 60, Sauk Rapids

November 10, 1962 - July 3, 2023

Noel Raymond Ashcroft, age 60, Sauk Rapids, MN died Monday, July 3, 2023 in Becker, MN as the result of a vehicle accident.

A celebration of his life will be held at Mississippi View Farm 5310 NE River Rd, Sauk Rapids, MN on August 18, beginning at 4:30 PM with a Memory Sharing Service at 7:00 PM. The celebration will be live streamed so we can share his life with distant friends and family. Come prepared to raise a glass, eat Happy Hut food, and share a story about our favorite Aussie.

Noel was born in Brisbane, Australia in 1962, to Bernadette Reeves Ashcroft and Ray Ashcroft. He was the first of three children, followed by sister Raelene and later by his younger brother Russell. Following a childhood where he developed a love of sport, cars, and everything Aussie, he began a job in the meat industry, where his father had established a number of butcher shops and a meat export business.

He later moved to London to take an internship, where he met his first wife Lynda Zniewski. They moved to Australia for a few years before returning to the U.S. Shortly thereafter they had their first son Jack, followed 4 years later by Allison, who were and would always remain the most valued things in Noel's life.

After Noel and Lynda's divorce, Noel met Kate Phillips, and her horse business, Mississippi View Farm. They were married in 2009, adding Kate and her son Anthony to his life. By default, this meant he also married Kate's "Barn Family" of long-time clients, also taking them for better or for worse. He learned to drive a bobcat, do late night chores, and manage all sorts of critters in his new role.

Noel was beyond a doubt a salesman at heart. When he first came to Minnesota, he continued to work in the meat business making lots of lifelong friends and connections, which eventually led him to move to the sales/distribution game when he got a job at Trudeau Distributing. After many years of sales, he ended up in management, and then finally started his own business, continuing his lifelong interest in the food industry. This was the beginning of the Happy Hut food truck in 2017. After many busy summers working with his friends and kids in the truck, he was able to turn the food truck into the flagship for his Happy Hut brand of products. It all began as popcorn that he labeled himself, pasting on the labels on his dining room table, to a company spanning most of Minnesota, providing all sorts of snacks and other items to almost any business that he set his sights on. Allison's husband Derek joined him in 2022, solidifying it as a family business.

Family was everything to Noel, and as he expanded into becoming a grandfather, his world was complete.

Noel was larger than life to everyone he knew, with a ready smile, a strong opinion about pretty much everything, and a way of greeting you that made you feel like you were the most important person in the room. No words can describe how much he will be missed by his family and friends.

Noel is survived by his wife, Kate Phillips of Sauk Rapids, MN; son Jack (Danielle) Ashcroft of Nisswa, MN; daughter Allison (Derek) Ashcroft of St. Cloud, MN; step son Anthony Phillips Marshik (fiancé Abby Sylvester) of Crystal, MN; and his family in Brisbane Australia, mother, Bernadette Ashcroft ; brother Russell (Josephine) Ashcroft; sister Raelene (Ashcroft) Biram; and two grandchildren, Reagan Ashcroft and Gabriel Hoffmann.

He was preceded in death by his father, Ray Ashcroft.