The Memorial Wall

Bruce Richard McGrath, 71, died Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at his Denver home with his family by his side after a 13-year battle with Parkinson’s.

Bruce was born December 21, 1952, in Portsmouth, Virginia to Forrest and Patricia McGrath. His family moved to Denver in 1954. Bruce loved spending his life in Denver and Vail. He was an avid skier and car enthusiast who enjoyed racing cars. He was also passionate about biking and playing golf at Cherry Hills Country Club.

In 1976, Bruce graduated from the University of Denver with a degree in Business. Prior to that, Bruce graduated in 1972 from Kent Denver School / Denver Country Day. Bruce was a member of several organizations including Young Presidents Organization and YPO Gold Rocky Mountain. Bruce bought Elder Equipment in 1986 and started Canyon State Bus Sales in 2004, which he owned and operated until 2020.

Bruce was a longstanding philanthropist in his community. Bruce was passionate about supporting education with generous support to Kent Denver School and UC Health Anschutz. Bruce proudly served cumulatively 18 years on the Board of Trustees at Kent Denver School. He also loved animals and supported the Denver Zoo and the Dumb Friends League.

Bruce is survived by his son, Michael (Hadley) McGrath and grandsons, Grayson McGrath and Conrad McGrath; sisters Ann Peña, Lindsey (Tom) McGrath and Tracey McGrath.

Bruce will be remembered for his larger-than-life personality, his love for his family and friends, and his endless generosity.

Judith Oppenheimer, an award-winning author, journalist, teacher and great wit, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Wednesday, May 1, in Northwest Baltimore. She was 82.

Judy was born to Jeanne and Ralph Altman at Columbia Women’s Hospital in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 1942. She lived on Simms Place in Northeast D.C., a diverse and lively neighborhood, until she was 9, when her parents moved the family to the Northern Virginia suburbs.

In 1959, Judy graduated from Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, Virginia, and majored in American Studies at George Washington University, graduating in 1963.

She then began a long career in journalism, landing a job at The Washington Post as a “copy girl” that led to a Post internship, both positions that generally went in those days to white male graduates of Ivy League schools.

Judy became a reporter at the Post before taking a job at the Philadelphia Daily News in 1966. There, she worked as a film critic and was one of only two women reporters on staff.

Judy met and married Jerry Oppenheimer, an investigative reporter at the Daily News. After their first son, Jesse, was born in 1969, they moved to Washington, D.C., where Jerry got a job with the Evening Star.

Over the years, Judy’s writing for the Village Voice, Washingtonian, the Washington Post Magazine, Salon, The Forward, Moment and other publications earned numerous awards.

As a reporter and senior editor for the Baltimore Jewish Times, she traveled to Argentina to cover the aftermath of the 1994 terrorist attack on a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires. She also wrote a cover story about Henrietta Szold when the Jewish Museum of Maryland presented an exhibition of the pioneering Zionist leader’s life and work in April of 1995, as well as a profile of Holocaust survivor, author and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel.

“Judy was truly a journalist’s journalist and a one-of-a-kind human being,” said Jmore Editor-in-Chief Alan Feiler, who worked closely with Oppenheimer at the Jewish Times. “She didn’t mince words and called it like she saw it, but she was a person with a big heart and a love of life and family and people. She also was hysterical and loved to laugh. So many people loved her.”

Judy could turn the most mundane assignment into a lively read. As editor of the Montgomery County Advertiser, she brought sharp and amusing writing to a free suburban newspaper.

Judy’s writing also reflected her profound emotional intelligence. In a tribute to her late cousin, feminist and cultural critic Ellen Willis that appeared on the First of the Month website, she wrote about how important it was for the two of them to sit close to one another:  “I guess it was a way of saying without words, You know how much I’ve always loved you, don’t you? You know how important you’ve always been to me, right? How much I’ll miss you, forever.”

In 1989, Judy’s first book, “Private Demons” (Ballantine), a literary biography of writer Shirley Jackson, received a glowing review in the New York Times Book Review. More than the acclaim, though, Judy said her biggest thrill came from researching and writing the book.

Her second book, “Dreams of Glory” (Summit Books), published in 1991, chronicled a season in her son Toby’s high school football team.

In the late 1990s, Judy entered a master’s program designed for journalists interested in teaching at the University of Maryland, College Park, where she taught four classes per semester while carrying a full course load and earning a 4.0 grade point average. She was a natural teacher who loved working with students.

Judy loved good writing of all kinds and was an ardent advocate of  direct, economic, un-showy prose. With her sharp insights and sharper wit, she was an engaging conversationalist who listened carefully and lived for laughter.

She was devoted to being an extraordinary writer, but more importantly, a wonderful mother, daughter, sister and friend.

Apart from some short interludes in Philadelphia and Baltimore, she lived her entire life in the D.C. area.

Judy is survived by her sons, Jesse and Toby; her grandchildren, Max, Louise and Julien; her sister, Ida; her nephew, Koby; her daughter-in-law, Josee; and a handful of loyal, amazing friends who stuck by her side until the end. 

Judy was predeceased by her parents and sister, Deborah Altman. She will be laid to rest next to Deborah at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York.

Charles William Lamb, PhD, whose career as a clinical psychologist in Cooperstown spanned over five decades, passed away following a long battle with Parkinson’s disease in the early-morning hours of Monday, April 29, 2024 at Woodside Hall in Cooperstown with family by his side. He was 86.

Born March 29, 1938 in Englewood, New Jersey, Charlie was a son of Charles Lamb and Justine (Clay) Lamb. He spent his early years in Englewood and later in West Winfield, New York, where he learned to love basketball, golf, and the outdoors. Charlie enjoyed spending his summers working as a camp counselor and vacationing in Lake Placid. The family moved to Fremont, Ohio, where he met Lois Ann Deppen. They married in 1957 and together, they started their family. Charlie graduated from Oberlin College in 1963. After earning his PhD in clinical psychology from The Ohio State University in 1966, Charlie became the director of psychology at Columbus State Hospital. From 1968-69, he was an assistant professor of psychology at SUNY Buffalo. In 1969, the family moved to Cooperstown when Charlie became the chief psychologist at Bassett Hospital.

In 1978, Charlie married Barbara Jorgensen. Theirs was a love story for the ages, and he remained devoted to Barbara through his final days. He was an avid boater, and meticulously cared for their wooden boat, Lambcruiser. Together, Barbara and Charlie cruised Otsego Lake, enjoying sunsets, nature, and all creatures great and small. Charlie was passionate about golf and was a regular at Leatherstocking Golf Course, where he took great pleasure in walking the course while joking with his friends. He loved folk music, and enjoyed the sing-alongs at Woodside Hall with Barbara by his side.

After 29 years, Charlie retired from Bassett in 1997 and opened an independent practice in clinical psychology. Charlie retired again in 2018 at the age of 80. An avid reader and writer, Charlie published numerous articles in professional journals. From 1997-2000, he also wrote a weekly column, “Lamb’s Tales,” for “The Freeman’s Journal.”

Charlie is survived by his wife of 45 years, Barbara, of Cooperstown; daughter Susan Lamb and husband Clif Buell of Apalachicola, Florida; son William Lamb and wife Laura Bliss Lamb of Cooperstown; a brother, David (Vickie) Lamb; nieces Tricia (Michael) McElfresh and Lisa (Scott) Stuart; great-nephew Casey McElfresh; and great-nieces Ivy McElfresh, Anya Stuart, and Brynn Stuart, all of Clyde, Ohio. He was predeceased by his parents.

Charlie often spoke of one’s ability to raise or lower the temperature in a room simply by entering it. To all those who lowered the temperature—the expert caregivers at Bassett, the compassionate team at Woodside Hall, the helping hands from Helios Care, and loving family and friends who supported us over the last three months—we are forever grateful.

June 28, 1936 - April 28, 2024 Gary O. Concoff, 87, of Los Angeles, California, passed away on April 28, 2024, after a prolonged illness.
Born June 28, 1936, to Evelyn and Nathan Concoff, Gary played centerfield at Los Angeles High School and went on to study Accounting at UCLA and received a JD from Harvard Law School.

In 1962, Gary returned to Los Angeles where he began a successful career in Entertainment Law which remained his passion for the next five decades. His broad knowledge spanned topics including litigation, corporate law, bankruptcy, intellectual property, accounting, and personal service agreements. He adeptly guided his clients through the risks inherent to their business and creative endeavors. He was among the first to recognize and develop the field of international co-production. Gary was generous in sharing his time and knowledge with subsequent generations of Entertainment Attorneys including his instrumental roles in founding and nurturing the growth of the UCLA Entertainment Symposium. He took particular pride in the many successes of those he mentored.

Also in 1962, Gary met the love of his life, Jean Fogelman. They were married the following year, a loving union that lasted the 62 years until his death. They had two children, Cory and Andy. Gary valued love for his family above all else. First as a son and brother, and later as a husband, father, and grandfather, Gary delighted in spending time with his family, reminiscing at Sunday gatherings, and providing earnest and sage guidance and encouragement. Those of us lucky enough to benefit from Gary's love felt cherished, supported, and empowered.

He loved supporting the interests of his sons and grandchildren, attending their games, recitals, and other performances. With the family home aptly situated beyond the centerfield fence, he was a prominent contributor to the Golden Age of Rustic Canyon Park Sports. Gary was an avid supporter of UCLA athletics and an ardent fan of the San Francisco Giants.

Gary is survived by Jean, sons Cory and Andy, Andy's wife Simone, grandchildren Eden, Sydney, and Quintin, as well as his sisters Laurie and Robbi and their families.

Patricia Curry Davis, of Atlanta, and Highlands, NC, and known to her friends as Pat, died on April 27, 2024, from the long-term effects of Parkinson's Disease. She had lived with Parkinson's for more than 12 years, valiantly dealing with the symptoms and moving forward with her life with courage. She was born on November 8, 1939, to Clarence Ellie and Annabel Dees Curry in Reidsville, Georgia. She was an excellent student and left Reidsville High School after her junior year to matriculate at Mars Hills, then a junior college. She completed her degree at Emory University, graduating in 1960 with a degree in accounting. The Big 8 accounting firms at the time were not hiring women on the professional staff, so she joined Sowell and Harden, a local Atlanta firm. When she was awarded her CPA certificate in 1966, she was the only woman in Georgia to receive one that year. She was always a woman ahead of her time.

She married Charlton Lee Davis, her Mars Hill classmate, in 1960, and they had a long and happy partnership, both in life and in business. After a move to Valdosta, she and Charlie had their own CPA practice which served much of the area. She was and remained on technology's cutting edge. An early adapter of computers in the office, she was tapped by IBM to speak nationally on the value of computers for small businesses and travelled the country to do so. She carried her Palm Pilot with her at all times, long before the rest of us used hand-held technology. That comfort with tech continued to the end with her use of her Apple watch.

While raising her children and practicing accounting, she was also deeply involved in the Valdosta community, serving on the board of the Valwood School which her children attended, and as a board member of the Georgia Conservancy. Pat was a serious gardener and proponent of native plants. At Canterbury Court, where she spent the last 12 years of her life, she was a leader of a group of resident gardeners who built a bog garden on the property and was always consulted for her gardening expertise. She and Charlie were also expert birders and travelled the country to see birds in their native habitat or to see extraordinary migrations, such as the Sandhill cranes on the Platte River in Nebraska.

She was predeceased by Charlie, who died in 2012, as well as by her parents, and a younger sister, Mary Ann, who died in childhood. She is survived by her two children Charlton Lee Davis, Jr. of Marietta, GA, and Holly Schmidt-Davis (Jon) of Pine Lake, GA; and one grandchild, Audrey Schmidt-Davis, whom she loved dearly. She is also survived by her brother, James L. Curry of Atlanta; his wife, Ann; and their children and grandchildren, all of whom loved Aunt Pat.
 

Michael Harold Guth (79) born February 6, 1943, in Manhattan, KS, United States, passed away April 27, 2022 due to complications of Parkinson's Disease. He resided in Indio, CA at the time of his passing. Arrangements are under the direction of Forest Lawn, Coachella, California. Michael served in the United States Navy for 20 years retiring as a Commander. After his military career he had many building interests which included building energy efficient homes, large motor yachts, motorhomes and an airplane. He was active in the following orgaizations: Bus N Bikers and FMCA 4-Wheelers. He is survived by two brothers, Steve (Eloy, AZ) and John (Alma, KS), a sister, Patty Stuewe (Alma, KS), wife, Marcia, and sons Michael J. Guth (Kimberly Guth) and Darren S. Guth. 

On the evening of April 24, 2024, Debra Helene Pressman peacefully passed away in her home, surrounded by loved ones. At age 70, after 20 years of managing Parkinson's Disease symptoms, Debra died from the natural progression of the disease. Through to the end of her life, Debra maintained her humor, grace, spunk, and loving, gracious heart. May we remember her timeless essence this way.

Debra is survived by her husband Daniel Shifflett, who has provided her with abundant love, care, and adventure since they met in 2003. Together, they enjoyed being outdoors, walking, kayaking, traveling, listening to music, cooking, gardening, and spending time with family and friends. They were married in 2010 and created a warm, welcoming, and colorful home in a forested neighborhood in Charlottesville. Daniel dedicated himself to ensuring Debbie had paramount love, care, and comfort throughout her illness.

Debra is deeply adored and missed by all who love her, especially her three grown children, Rachel, Sam, and Will Gimbel; their respective spouses, Graham "Ocean" Huff, Taylor Blakin, and Jenny Horn Gimbel; and her two grandchildren, Andros and Avishai. She is also survived and deeply missed by her sisters, Mindy and Lisa, her nephew Lucas, and her nieces Risa and Miriam.

Debra Pressman was born in Baltimore, Maryland on September 19, 1953, to her late parents, Stanley Pressman and Ritalee Woronoff. Her mother passed away when she was 8 years old and her father married Charlotte Bomstein, who raised her and her four siblings.

Debbie studied at the University of Virginia and received a degree in Speech Pathology. While living in Charlottesville, Debbie met Woodrow Gimbel. They moved to Baltimore to be close to the Pressman family, where they married and had three children. They later moved their young family back to Charlottesville and fostered their baby nephew Lucas after the tragic passing of Debbie's sister, Ilene. A dedicated and fiercely loving mother, Debbie raised four children with a commitment to health, education, social justice, loving-kindness, integrity, and unwavering heart-guided values. When the kids were older, she joined the team at ScholarOne, a local software company, and mastered many new skills working with editors and staff of scholarly journals. She retired in 2010 when her Parkinson's symptoms made it difficult to work.

Loved by many dear friends, they knew her to be caring and generous; down-to-earth and fun, with a playful and dry sense of humor; committed to justice and integrity; creative, with a keen eye for beauty and style; vastly intelligent and always seeking to learn new skills; and a voracious reader. Debbie enjoyed many rich years of gardening, making jewelry, pottery, photography, cooking, running long distances, hiking, traveling, and writing.

Providing service as a community leader and educator, Debbie was a founding member of Chevrei Tzedek, a Jewish congregation in Baltimore; founding organizer of a local Parkinson's support group; active member of the Parkinson's Action Network and Michael J. Fox Foundation; and a passionate natural childbirth education instructor.

Debra was an inspiration and support to those whose lives she touched. May her memory be a blessing. May the One who brings Peace and Love to the Universe bring Peace and Love to us all. Amen.

On the evening of April 20, 2024, Mickie Reinertson from Huntington Beach passed away after a 7 year battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was born in Modesto, California on April 11, 1939 to Edna (de la Motte) Reinertson and Bernard Reinertson. In 1957, Mickie graduated from Series High School in California. He attended Concordia Oakland and went on to graduate from Concordia Teacher’s College in Seward Nebraska where he met his wife, Betty Kirchhof. He and Betty were married in June of 1961 in Iowa. Mickie accepted his first teaching job in Sacramento California in 1961 at Town and Country Lutheran School. He then went on to teach at several other Lutheran Schools: St. Paul’s Lutheran School in Round Lake Illinois, Faith Lutheran School in Whittier, St. Paul’s Garden Grove and St. Paul’s Lutheran in Orange, California. Toward the end of his career he became principal at Hephatha Lutheran School in Anaheim Hills where he served until his retirement. After retirement, he became a substitute teacher in Garden Grove Unified School District where he enjoyed instructing all grades from Kindergarten to High School and even taught music. Mickie had many hobbies and passions. He loved to play, coach and watch all sports. Throughout his teaching career he coached everything from basketball to track and field, but he especially loved baseball/softball as a player, coach and manager. He had a love for music and played both the trumpet and ukulele. He enjoyed many years of playing ukulele with his fellow musicians at Island Bazaar in Huntington Beach. Mickie loved stories both telling them and hearing them. He loved to laugh and kept his humor until the very end of his life. When asked how old he was on his 85th birthday he said,” Twenty one?” He loved his family and was a wonderful father, grandfather and great grandfather. During his last days he was able to enjoy the friends and family members who came to visit and would recall great memories and stories from the past. He is survived by his brother, Jerome (Jerry) Reinertson, his wife, Betty Reinertson, his three daughters, Denise Trok, (Steve Trok), Brenda Hawkins, (Jim Hawkins), Coleen Barrier, (Chris Barrier). His six grandchildren, Joshua Cox, Joseph Brintane Cox,( Cat Paul), Jacklyn Chen, (Kevin Pegg), Madeline Chen, Nathan Trok, (Ashley Trok), Allison Trok (Lorenz Sarcletti), and his three great grand children, Clara and Evan Trok and Charlotte Cox. 

Maurice Leon “Mel” Opotowsky, a former newspaper editor and tenacious free press advocate who was known for helping to advance 1st Amendment rights, has died.

Opotowsky died April 18 at Claremont Manor retirement community, where he lived with his wife, Bonnie Opotowsky, according to their son, Didier Opotowsky. He said his father’s cause of death is not certain, and that he had Parkinson’s. He was 92.

Opotowsky was a top editor at the Riverside Press-Enterprise when the paper brought two cases before the U.S. Supreme Court that resulted in landmark rulings advancing the public’s right to view certain legal proceedings. He was later a founding board member of the First Amendment Coalition, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the free press and preserving access to government records and meetings.

“I don’t know that there’s another single person in California who had such a positive and long-lasting impact on open government in our state,” said David Snyder, executive director of the First Amendment Coalition. Opotowsky remained an active board member until his death and had emailed Snyder suggesting work the organization could take up just weeks ago, he added. “His longevity, his persistence and his tenacity are the stuff of legend.”

Opotowsky joined the Press-Enterprise in 1973 after working as an editor at Newsday. He was known for fostering a culture that emphasized hard news and accountability journalism, said former columnist Dan Bernstein, who worked at the Press-Enterprise from 1976 to 2014.

Back then, the news organization put out two papers: the morning Enterprise and the afternoon Press, which were later merged. Opotowsky eventually climbed the ranks to become managing editor of the combined edition.

“He was pretty much on everybody’s shoulder as they wrote and reported stories, because he was a very tough and aggressive editor who was skeptical of government and skeptical of politicians,” Bernstein said. “And none of us wanted to be left not asking the question that he would have looked for immediately.”

In January 1984, the paper won the first of two Supreme Court rulings that are still often cited by attorneys seeking access to court proceedings.

“He was reputed to know as much about constitutional law as a lot of lawyers did,” he said. “Whether it was government meetings, courtrooms or records, he was pretty much adamant that all records should be open and all courtrooms should be open.”

Opotowsky retired as editor of the Press-Enterprise in 1999, becoming an ombudsman, tasked with investigating and responding to reader complaints. In addition to his open records advocacy work, he taught at Cal State Fullerton.

He was rightly known for being unsparingly direct, said Kris Lovekin, a former education reporter at the Press-Enterprise. She recalled one story in which Opotowsky demanded that a reporter unmask a donor to UC Riverside who wanted to remain anonymous, figuring that a public university must be required to disclose its backers. After he resolved to get an attorney involved, the Press-Enterprise’s then-publisher, Howard H. “Tim” Hays, was forced to disclose that it was he who had, in fact, made the donation, Lovekin said.

At the same time, Opotowsky was also kind and compassionate when warranted, she said. A keen chronicler of the world around him, he was creating journalism up until the end of his life, she said.

“He was still writing stories about people in Claremont Manor, about the people he lived with,” Lovekin said. “He would post it on Facebook and we would read about the other residents.”

Opotowsky was remembered for his dry wit that at times leaned acerbic. He had a soft spot for practical jokes and an even softer spot for his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, his son said. He loved horseback riding, fox hunting and trying different restaurants, he said.

Opotowsky was born in New Orleans on Dec. 13, 1931. His mother was ill, so one of her sisters-in-law filled out the registration card and submitted it to the city to produce a birth certificate, Didier Optowsky said. The sister-in-law named him Maurice Leon after their father — contrary to a tradition among some Jewish people that dictates babies should not be named after living relatives, he said.

“My grandmother was so furious she refused to call him Maurice, refused to call him M.L.,” Didier Opotowsky said. “So she called him Mel.”

His father did not learn his legal name until he was drafted into the Army, Didier Opotowsky said.

True to his roots, Opotowsky was also known to make enormous batches of red beans and rice — enough to feed the entire family for weeks, his son said. “They were good,” he said. “But we would get tired after the fifth day or so.”

He is survived by his wife Bonnie; son Didier; daughters Joelle Opotowsky, Keturah Persellin and Jamie Persellin; 18 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by a daughter, Arielle Opotowsky, who died as an infant.

Thomas Lee Phillips of Newport Coast, California, died peacefully at his home on Thursday, April 18, 2024, surrounded by his four children and his loving caregivers. He had fought a courageous battle with Parkinson’s Disease for over a decade. Tom was born in Camden, New Jersey on December 25, 1941 to parents Helen Hutchinson Phillips and Jules Ludin Phillips. He lived most of his adult life in Montgomery County, Maryland before moving to northern Virginia in 1998 and then Orange County, California in 2010. He earned a B.A. in political science from Dartmouth College and a M.A. in journalism from The American University. He also served in the U.S. Army and was employed with two large national advertising agencies and a Washington, D.C. publishing firm. In January 1974, Tom started Phillips Publishing (which later became Phillips International, Inc.) with his wife Jan in the garage of their home in Chevy Chase, Maryland with a $1,000 investment. After launching two newsletters with three employees, the company grew into one of the most important print publishing firms over the next three decades. The firm published newsletters, magazines, and directories and later online information services for consumer and business-to-business marketplaces. The wide range of industries included health, personal investing, telecommunications, banking, aerospace, and energy. A very successful subsidiary of the company also marketed several doctor-formulated lines of nutritional supplements to the health newsletter subscribers. He sold the final Phillips subsidiary in January 2007. Tom was also Founder and Chairman of Eagle Publishing, Inc., which he started in 1993. Eagle Publishing was a leading source of books and periodicals that included Regnery Publishing, a politically conservative book publisher founded in 1947, and Human Events, a leading conservative newspaper. He sold this company in 2014 to Salem Media Group. Tom founded The Phillips Foundation, a non-profit organization which sponsored programs for print journalists and the Ronald Reagan Leaders Scholarship Program. It was later merged into The Fund for America Studies. He was a founding member of the Newsletters Publishers Association and served as its president. In 1989, Tom was named Newsletter Publishers Association “Publisher of the Year” and in 1994 he was elected as the first member of the Newsletter Publishers Hall of Fame. Tom served on the Board of Directors of Young America’s Foundation, chaired the Board of Governors of the National Journalism Center, and was a member of the Reagan Ranch Board of Governors. He was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Fund for American Studies and Chairman of the Board of Visitors for the Institute on Political Journalism. He served for many years on the Board of Junior Achievement of the National Capital Area and on the Board of the Boy Scouts of America National Capital Area Council. A generous man, Tom was extremely proud to be part of the purchase of the Reagan Ranch, President Ronald Reagan’s Western White House in Santa Barbara, by Young America’s Foundation. He worked closely with The Fund for American Studies, which fosters programs that teach the principles of limited government, free-market economics, and honorable leadership to students and young professionals in America and around the world. He often hosted events and political fundraisers at his homes on the east coast and Orange County and loved to throw a good party. Tom took his entire company to Disney World in Florida in September 1993 in recognition of the 20th anniversary of the company. It was a 3-day, 2-night stay and included all employees and their families. A second trip, a Disney cruise, followed ten years later in September 2003 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the company (which was officially founded on 1/1/1974). Again, the trip included all Phillips Publishing employees, their families, board members and some vendors of the company who had been with the firm for many years. Tom considered his employees like family and wanted to make sure they knew how appreciated and valued they were. Tom enjoyed collecting art (mainly American Impressionist) and traveling and loved all forms of chocolate, blueberry pie, and lemon bars. His favorite flower was the rose. When he lived in both Maryland and Virginia, he had beautiful rose gardens. He would bring a pail of these roses to his business office and hand them out to his new employees, making sure he personally thanked them for joining the team. Tom Phillips is survived by Karen (Christopher) Broussard and Mark Thomas Phillips, children from his first marriage, and Reagan Thomas Phillips and Parker James Phillips, sons from his second marriage. He is also survived by five grandchildren, a sister Katherine (Dorsey) Hunt, a niece and a nephew, an uncle and a cousin.