While serving two assignments in Vietnam, he flew 190+ missions, which resulted in receiving two Distinguished Flying Crosses and Air Medal with 11 oak leaf clusters. He also received the Legion of Merit and three Meritorious Medals. While serving in the Air Force, he had many assignments to include California, Japan, Vietnam, Florida (participating in the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis as an F-100 pilot), Spain (his unit was stranded in Libya when Gaddafi took power), Louisiana, Virginia, Arizona, Texas, with his final AF assignment with the US Embassy in Athens, Greece. These assignments included many deployments which required 18+ ocean crossings in an F-100 single-seater fighter jet. During his AF career, he received his undergraduate and master's degrees, retiring from the Air Force in 1984.
After retirement from the Air Force, he accepted a position with McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Company in St Louis MO, working in International Marketing. He traveled extensively to the Far East (Japan and Korea) with this position. After living in Williamsburg VA, he then moved to Singapore and then Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia as VP for Southeast Asia. While living in SEA, he and Sandy were able to travel on many adventures to include Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, and many of the far-flung Indonesian islands. After his retirement from MDC in 1998, he returned to the US to live in Garden Ridge, TX where he has resided for 13 years.
Phil is survived by his wife of 32 years, Sandra Digby, children Deborah (John) VandenBerg, Arroyo Grande CA, Wendy Edsall, Tucson AZ, David (Aimee) Edsall, Cayucos, CA, Sidney (Cesar) Villanueva, Vicenza Italy, and Jason Owens and his fiancée Gaileon Thompson, Jacksonville, FL and 7 grandchildren: Cole, Kendall, Casey, Scarlet, Ian, Elliott and Olivier. He is also survived by his brother Glen (Martha), Bozeman MT, and his sister Rheta (Bill) Kissler, Garden Ridge TX. He is a member of the Super Saber Society (F-100 pilots), Daedalians, Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association and the Garden Ridge Lions Club.
A very special thank you to the doctors and staff at Kindred Hospital who made his last few months comfortable with their care, compassion and friendship. Also, to his many loyal friends from the Garden Ridge Lion's Club who visited him regularly and kept his spirits high.
Memorial Service
Monday
August 26, 2013
10:00 a.m.
Porter Loring North Chapel
2102 North Loop 1604 East
San Antonio, TX 78232
Interment will follow at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery at 11:45 a.m.
A Celebration of Life reception will be held at the Forest Waters Club, 21320 Water Wood Drive, Garden Ridge TX 78266 at 1:30 p.m.
While serving two assignments in Vietnam, he flew 190+ missions, which resulted in receiving two Distinguished Flying Crosses and Air Medal with 11 oak leaf clusters. He also received the Legion of Merit and three Meritorious Medals. While serving in the Air Force, he had many assignments to include California, Japan, Vietnam, Florida (participating in the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis as an F-100 pilot), Spain (his unit was stranded in Libya when Gaddafi took power), Louisiana, Virginia, Arizona, Texas, with his final AF assignment with the US Embassy in Athens, Greece. These assignments included many deployments which required 18+ ocean crossings in an F-100 single-seater fighter jet. During his AF career, he received his undergraduate and master's degrees, retiring from the Air Force in 1984.
After retirement from the Air Force, he accepted a position with McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Company in St Louis MO, working in International Marketing. He traveled extensively to the Far East (Japan and Korea) with this position. After living in Williamsburg VA, he then moved to Singapore and then Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia as VP for Southeast Asia. While living in SEA, he and Sandy were able to travel on many adventures to include Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, and many of the far-flung Indonesian islands. After his retirement from MDC in 1998, he returned to the US to live in Garden Ridge, TX where he has resided for 13 years.
Phil is survived by his wife of 32 years, Sandra Digby, children Deborah (John) VandenBerg, Arroyo Grande CA, Wendy Edsall, Tucson AZ, David (Aimee) Edsall, Cayucos, CA, Sidney (Cesar) Villanueva, Vicenza Italy, and Jason Owens and his fiancée Gaileon Thompson, Jacksonville, FL and 7 grandchildren: Cole, Kendall, Casey, Scarlet, Ian, Elliott and Olivier. He is also survived by his brother Glen (Martha), Bozeman MT, and his sister Rheta (Bill) Kissler, Garden Ridge TX. He is a member of the Super Saber Society (F-100 pilots), Daedalians, Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association and the Garden Ridge Lions Club.
A very special thank you to the doctors and staff at Kindred Hospital who made his last few months comfortable with their care, compassion and friendship. Also, to his many loyal friends from the Garden Ridge Lion's Club who visited him regularly and kept his spirits high.
Memorial Service
Monday
August 26, 2013
10:00 a.m.
Porter Loring North Chapel
2102 North Loop 1604 East
San Antonio, TX 78232
Interment will follow at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery at 11:45 a.m.
A Celebration of Life reception will be held at the Forest Waters Club, 21320 Water Wood Drive, Garden Ridge TX 78266 at 1:30 p.m.
Inscription
LM DFC MSM
AM AFCM
Husband Father
Grandfather
Brother Friend
Gravesite Details
COL US Air Force, Vietnam
Family Members
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