George A. Phillips

George Alonzo Phillips, age 93, of Kansas City, Missouri, died August14, 2015 in Cameron, Missouri. A Committal Service with Military Honors will be held at Fort Leavenworth cemetery on Wednesday, August 19 at 1:30 p. m. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to UMKC Athletics. George was born on November 6, 1921, in Kansas City, Missouri, and grew up in Overland Park. As a youth he became an Eagle Scout before graduating from Shawnee Mission Rural High School in 1938. The following year he attended the University of Kansas in Lawrence where he pledged Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. In 1941, eight days after the outbreak of World War II, he left college to join the United States Marine Corps, becoming a member of the Greatest Generation, one of those who rose up to defend America's freedom in the Pacific. In the Marine Corps, he served as a Naval aviator through the Korean War until he retired as a Major in 1962. During his service, he flew Corsair and A4D aircraft in carrier operations during the forties, fifties and sixties as a member of VMF 214 and 224, and VMA 331. While a career officer, he received the following degrees: A BS in Military Science from the University of Maryland and a Master's degree in Electronics from Harvard/MIT. After the death of his first wife, he separated from the Marine Corps and returned to Kansas City. At UMKC he earned a second Master's degree, this time in Education, and then became Director of the Audio Visual Services department at the university until he retired in 1991. For over forty years he was an enthusiastic supporter of all sports, in particular the Royals and UMKC Athletics. As a member of UMKC Retirees Association, he served on the Board and as Treasurer. He was a member of the Overland Park Historical Society and the Kansas City Historic Foundation. During his retirement, he taught English as a second language to Somalis and Vietnamese at Della Lamb. He also volunteered for the Airline History Museum in Kansas City and served as a supervising judge for the Kansas City Election Board of Commissioners until 2013. Besides his love of sports, George was also an avid stamp collector, reader and book collector, acquiring among many other books all of the Pulitzer winners, first editions when possible. A puzzle master, he solved the New York Times crossword every day until shortly before his death, and also tackled the most difficult Sudokus he could find. A man of quiet strength, he was a good man, who, when faced with an obstacle, always found the right path to take. He was kind, and generous, too, always open to helping others when he could, the kind of man who always stood back to let another pass ahead of him in line. When he and his wife Jan joined families, he embraced his step-children as his own from that day forward until he died and was always on the sidelines helping when he could or cheering his family on. He was a man to look up to and to admire, a role model for his children and grandchildren and his wife who loved him. George is predeceased by his parents, Viola Atkins Phillips and George Kerr Phillips; his first wife, Marjorie Matthes Phillips, who died in 1962; a son, George Charles Phillips, who died in 2000; his sister, Suzanne Phillips Strosnider, who died in 2012; a nephew, Sandy Currie; and a niece, Emily Currie. He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Deirdre (Jan) Gambrel Phillips; his daughter, Suzanne Elizabeth Phillips; a step-daughter, Deirdre Elizabeth Sheerin; two step-sons, Joseph Haney Cochran III and Christian Gambrel Cochran; two nephews; five grandchildren; and three great grandchildren.


Every person who is in procession MUST have their I.D. when entering Fort Leavenworth. This is required so that people will not have to go through a background check. SERVICES Graveside Service
Wednesday, August 19, 2015 1:30 PM
Leavenworth National Cemetery 150 8th Street Leavenworth, Kansas 66048

Every person who is in procession MUST have their I.D. when entering Fort Leavenworth. This is required so that people will not have to go through a background check.