Philip 'Phil; A. Birk III, 18 Feb 1937 - 06 Dec 2020

BIRK, PLATTNER, PICHA, LUNGSTROM, EMERSON, SCHONEBOOM

Posted By: Sarah Witte (email)
Date: 12/11/2020 at 15:23:48

Philip "Phil" A. Birk III, 83, of Middle Amana, Iowa, passed away at The Gardens of Cedar Rapids, on Dec. 6, 2020, from complications of COVID-19. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Arrangements by Murdoch-Linwood Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Cedar Rapids.

Phil was born Feb. 18, 1937, in Knoxville, Iowa, the son of Philip Birk II and Genevieve Birk. On May 30, 1957, he was united in marriage to Beverly Plattner.

Phil loved trains and collecting railroad memorabilia. He also loved to read, with Mark Twain being one of his favorites. Phil had an obsession with ancestry and his German roots and loved to visit Germany. If you knew Phil you knew how passionate he was about his family and his hobbies.

Phil is survived by daughters, Laurie (Tom) Picha of Oswego, Ill., Joyce (Gregg) Lungstrom of Woodford, Va., and Jessica (Erik) Emerson of Amana, Iowa; his younger sister, Diane (Fred) Schoneboom of Plainwell, Mich.; nine grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and his nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Beverly, who departed Dec. 10, 2018; his parents; and his brother, James Birk.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Safe Haven in South Amana, their favorite animal rescue. Please share a memory of Phil at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries.

Published in The Gazette on December 8, 2020.