- Date Of Birth: February 18, 1921
- Date Of Death: July 4, 2014
- State: Michigan
Richard Dick was born in Belding, Michigan on February 18, 1921, the youngest son of Caroline Blodgett Phillips and Elder Foreman Phillips. Elder moved his family from Belding to Kalamazoo in March of 1921. As a boy and young man, Richard delivered the Detroit Times newspaper in Kalamazoo, picking up the papers each morning at the Michigan Central Train Station.
Richard graduated from Kalamazoo Central High School in 1939 and immediately joined the workforce at the Shakespeare Products Company where he retired as a shop foreman more than 40 years later. During World War II, Richard served his country in the U.S. Navy Reserves as an Aviation Metalsmith 2nd class. From 1943-45 he was assigned to the Escort Aircraft Carrier, U.S.S. Hoggatt Bay, CVE-75, which participated in four major battles in the Pacific Theatre. He often credited Harry S. Truman for saving his life as his ship was actively headed to Japan for the invasion of the mainland when the war ended. On January 3, 1942 he married Eleanor Ellie Yousey. Together they raised four children: Karen Phillips Harrington , Richard Carol Coyne Phillips, Cheryl Dan Hook Phillips, and Robert Jeanette Manetta Phillips.
Richard is also survived by ten grandchildren; Eric Adele Harrington, Jennifer Perry Kirker, Michael Pauline Harrington, Lacey Karson Lattimore, Trevor Phillips, Ryan Raina Goodrich, Kara Michael Whitaker, Kyle Cindy Phillips, Kristin Phillips, Jared Kathleen Phillips and eight great grandchildren, Mikala, Aaron, Arianna, Abigail, Conover, Thomas, Elle and Amaya. Enjoying family genealogy, Richard was able to trace his Phillips ancestors back to 1665 to what is now Rhode Island. His ancestors were Quakers and members of the Society of Friends. Richard was also a proud member of the Sauk Trail Branch of the Sons of the American Revolution. Dick was a dedicated and long suffering Chicago Cubs fan, following the team from 1931 to the present. His love for the Cubs was cultivated at age ten by the firemen at the corner Fire Station who allowed him to listen to Cub games on the station house radio, the only one in that area of Kalamazoo.
He was a student of American History, especially enjoying the Revolutionary and Civil War periods. He shared his passion with his family. Richard and Ellie enjoyed taking their family on camping trips throughout the United States and to various Civil War Battlefields and National Parks. Though they never went to college, both were very proud that their children and grandchildren did. Richard was preceded in death by his beloved wife Ellie 2005 and he was never the same after her death. He has also joined his parents and brothers, Joseph 1922, Carlton 1928 and Willard 2008.
