Obituary of Glenn Lee Phillips

Glenn Lee Phillips passed away peacefully on August 17 in Auburn, WA. He is now enjoying an eternal round on the best golf course in the universe.

Glenn was the first-born son of Dorothy and Glenn F. Phillips, entering their lives on October 13, 1942, in Flint, Michigan. He grew up fishing, hunting and skiing. He played basketball in high school and learned drawing and amazing penmanship from his drafting classes. Shortly after graduation he enlisted in the United States Navy. Glenn spent his Navy years in electronics and radar on The U.S.S. Coral Sea, the U.S.S. Midway, and retired out of the Ship Repair Facility in Yokosuka, Japan.

Glenn met and married Margaret Elizabeth Grate in San Diego, California in 1966 and soon had a son, Michael, and a daughter, Nicole. He retired from the Navy after 20 years of service in 1980 and brought his family to Washington State where he continued his career as a quality assurance manager and planning engineer for Lockheed and Boeing.

Glenn retired from Boeing at age 74 and spent the last six years taking care of his wife, golfing, fishing, playing Pokémon video games, and tinkering with his treasured toy train collection.

'The end is only another beginning' is just the sort of wisdom he would offer his grieving family. Glenn might have been described as ornery and given the chance might have tried to write this notice himself, not out of vanity, but to protect the writer from its inherent difficulty. It was his deep desire to make life easier for others. Short in stature, but so tall in his character and in taking care of others.

"Phil," or "himself" as sometimes called by his wife of nearly 57 years, is survived by his soulmate "Peggy," daughter Niki Nelson (David) with grandson Zane, ever grateful son Michael Phillips and granddaughter Cordelia, as well as his sisters Cyndie Bronowski and Christine Dezell. He is proceeded in death by his parents and younger brothers Robert, David, and Dennis Phillips.

He will be missed more than he could ever know. A Celebration of Life is planned for October 22nd at the Auburn Golf Course beginning at 2:00pm.