Phillips, Eugene Ernest 1946 - 2022

PHILLIPS, FISCHER, HACK, KNOX, LOHFF, THORSON

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 7/23/2022 at 13:09:16

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Eugene Ernest Phillips, age 75, of Decorah passed away Wednesday, July 20, 2022 with his family by his side at St. Mary’s Hospital, Rochester, Minn.

Eugene was born on Aug. 16, 1946 to Ernest and Venita (Fischer) Phillips. He met Linda (Hack) in 1968 and they married in 1969. They had three children: Melissa, Eugene Jr, and Jessica. He worked at Featherlite Trailer prior to his retirement. After he retired, he loved spending time fishing in Decorah’s trout streams and rivers. He also took pride in what his father started before him, by mowing the cemetery and the Super 8 each week. The day he received his new kidney was a big day for Eugene. It gave him hope that he had many more years to spend with his kids and grandkids. He even saw seven great-grandkids born. The down side of his new kidney was the limitations it had, keeping him from doing a lot of things he wanted to do or accomplish.

Eugene was a teacher by his own right, passing down his knowledge of fishing, hunting and driving. Instead of just taking his kids and grandkids fishing, he taught them how to fish. He was brave enough to get into a motor vehicle with fresh new teenage drivers that thought they knew everything about driving. He paid close attention to his kids’ wants and needs by helping pick out a shiny Ford Mustang, looking at horses’ butts all day until they found the right one or even spending hours in the sun watching motocross races. Spending time with his kids and grandkids was important to Eugene, making every moment he had with them count. If they got too loud though, when he wanted to watch his tv shows he threatened “if they didn’t shut up he would kick them over the fence.” Eugene left a forever mark on the people who were lucky enough to know him.

Eugene left behind his loving wife of 53 years, Linda; his three kids: Melissa (Mark) Knox, Eugene, and Jessica; his grandkids: Kevin Knox, Brandon (Mary) Knox, Alexis (Aaron) Lohff, Cody (Courtney) Phillips, Isabella Thorson, Gracie Thorson; and seven great-grandkids.

A celebration of life is planned July 31 at Whalen Cabin in Phelps Park from 4 to 8 p.m.

Source: Decorah Newspapers July 22, 2022