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John Phillips
In Memory of
John L.
Phillips
1929 - 2016
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Obituary for John L. Phillips

John Lloyd Phillips, my Daddy, was born in Baltimore Maryland on January 24, 1929, and left us all too soon on November 9, 2016. Not every man achieves the prestigious title of “Daddy”, it is reserved for those who exhibit and impart the embodiment of unconditional love. His family was the most important facet of his life – and while small in number, we were all rich in love.

He attended Polytechnic or “Poly” High School before deciding to go into the service in August 1948. A Senior Radio Intercept Operator in the Air Force, assigned to the 8th RSM Brooks AFB, Texas, he was stationed in Japan during the Korean War. He was proud to have served his country and took great pride that his oldest grandson Sean Sweeney also chose to serve. These two forged a bond. Not only did they share respect, but somehow in there Daddy managed to impart an appreciation for some of his favorite authors: Michener, Grisham, W.E.B. Griffin and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s “Sherlock Holmes”. Daddy loved to read. Books filled our home and when he finally succumbed to technology, Kindle(s), yes plural, were always within reach. He told me that he loved Amazon because he could download a book and if after reading a bit, if he did not care for it, he could throw it “back in the cloud”. While he didn’t fully understand the technology behind “the cloud”, he found great humor in musing about it.

It was during his service, while stationed in Texas that he met and quickly married Jean Biddle in 1952. A devoted husband for over 64 years, they loved Big Band and Jazz music and dancing (my first experience was standing on his shoes). He could not have been a better role model. After he was discharged from the service, he attended the University of Texas at Austin (Hook’em Horns!) and in 1958 received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering degree. He was especially proud when his youngest grandson Ryan Sweeney graduated with a degree in Computer Engineering – another engineer in the family! In 1961, John and Jean adopted a baby girl, just 5 days old, and named her Gina Marie; from that moment forward, always a “Daddy’s girl”.

The greatest gifts he shared over the years were not tangible things; but enduring qualities, those that transcend from one generation to the next. His wit, his sense of humor – though he often thought it was lost on my Mom, he was always trying to sneak in a laugh. Daddy could always make me laugh and we never passed on an opportunity to joke around. This quickly and perhaps too soon was conveyed to his youngest grandson Ryan … but that’s another story in itself.

He loved to cook. While he preferred a spicier flavor, he adapted recipes to avoid setting Mom’s sensitive palate on fire. His sweet potato casserole was a requested staple at the Thanksgiving table. He taught me how to do basic maintenance on vehicles, how to weld (though admittedly I don’t get to use that particular skill often), how to ride a motorcycle, to read blueprints, and to “measure twice, cut once”. He was practical, “function it must, look it may” which was frequently in contention with Mom’s sense of décor in the home. He often said he went to great pains to lead an uneventful life, but I would argue that his journey was filled with significant milestones, wonderful friends and a loving family that will miss him dearly.

A service of remembrance will be at 1:30 p.m. Monday November 14, at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, with burial to follow at Waco Memorial Park. Visitation will be at OakCrest Funeral Home Sunday November 13 from 2-3:00 p.m. Memorial donations may be made to either St. Alban’s or McLennan Community College.

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