- Date Of Birth: September 29, 1921
- Date Of Death: June 30, 2016
- State: Montana
David Bernard Phillips, 94, died on June 30, 2016 in Kalispell, MT.
David was born in Minneapolis, MN on September 29, 1921, and moved with his family to Montana when he was four. They lived in the Mountain Brook and Creston area. He attended school there and 1 year at Flathead County High School. He enlisted in the Army in 1942, serving with the 46th Portable Surgical Hospital in the India-Burma theater of World War II. His unit marched nearly 1,000 miles through the jungles and mountains of Burma.
After being honorably discharged from the Army, David received his pilot and A&E mechanic’s licenses; he had a life-long love of flying and working on aircraft. When a plane would fly over, he would often share details about it and sometimes, a story about when he flew one. Later in life, he lived by the city airport and enjoyed hearing the planes take off and land. While living in Alaska, he was a partner in Fairbanks Aircraft Service, and worked there for a number of years.
David married childhood friend Lois Hanson on May 26, 1953. After their wedding they lived in Fairbanks for a few years and then moved to Portland OR where David attended Multnomah School of the Bible for one year. Eventually they moved back to Fairbanks. David and Lois have three wonderful children, all born in Alaska: two in the territory, and one in the state. In the mid ’60s, the family moved to Kalispell, MT, where David worked in construction for Dallas Munter, building houses.
Always handy, he built the family home when they returned to Fairbanks in 1974. There, he got a job for the local newspaper, the News-Miner, doing maintenance on the presses and machinery. Much to his delight, he also was able to work on the owner’s airplanes. David enjoyed Alaska’s scenery, and loved nature photography. In 1993, David retired, and he and Lois moved back to Kalispell to be closer to family.
His greatest loves were his family and his Heavenly Father.
He was preceded in death by his parents, five siblings, and two great-granddaughters. David is survived by his beloved wife of 63 years, Lois Phillips; daughter Martha Oursland and husband Bill; son Jonathan Phillips; daughter Joy Gregory and husband Dale (all of Kalispell); seven grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
