Earl Walter Phillips

Earl Walter Phillips

Iowa City

Earl Walter Phillips March 7, 1923 – May 27, 2022

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26

What we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us, we will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done. Psalm 78:3-4

Earl’s family will receive guests for visitation at Gay and Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service, 2720 Muscatine Ave., Iowa City, on Friday, June 3, from 4 to 6 p.m. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 4, at 9:30 a.m. (gathering at church from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.) at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, 2675 E. Washington St., Iowa City.

Earl was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on March 7, 1923, to Frank and Mable Phillips from Olin, Iowa. He attended country school, often riding his horse across the fields to school. Earl graduated from Olin High School prior to attending Iowa State University and then he returned to the farm in Jones County for 10 years. Earl was the youngest of three children. His two sisters, Ethel of Starkville, Miss. (106) and Marie of Gibson City, Ill. (100) have preceded him in death and were there to welcome him to heaven.

Earl married Jeanne Joslin of Clarence, Iowa, on Dec. 7, 1944. They recently celebrated their 77th wedding anniversary. After having rheumatic fever, Earl left farming and joined Jones County Farm Bureau Insurance in 1953. He later managed Muscatine County (1955) and then Cedar, Iowa and Johnson counties (1961) until he retired in 1990.

Earl planted several hundred walnut trees on a 5-acre portion of his 175-acre Centennial Farm in Jones County where he and his sisters grew up. He was deeply committed to the land and its roots with the vision of his great-grandchildren harvesting the trees that were planted while their parents were infants.

Earl was active in professional, civic and faith organizations. He was the past president of the Cedar Rapids-Iowa City General Managers Association as well as the Iowa City Life Underwriters. He was their recipient of the Alvin K. Shane award and was recognized as a multiple year member of the Royal Court of Honor by the Iowa Farm Bureau. Earl was a charter member and past president of the Iowa City Old Capital Kiwanis and served as the Lt. Governor of the Iowa-Nebraska District. In addition, Earl was a charter member of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church and served in the United Methodist Men, organizing the first distribution of potatoes for food pantries of the Iowa City area through the Society of St. Andrew.

Earl and Jeanne have four sons, Steve of Cedar Rapids, Dave (Bonnie) of Colorado Springs, Colo., Jon (Jane) of Winnetka, Ill., and Mark (Terise) of Highlands Ranch, Colo. Earl and Jeanne have seven grandchildren, Heather, Ashley, Matt, Jessica, Sean, Paul and Madeline. They also have 10 great-grandchildren, Isiah, Mathias, Jeramiah, Hadassah, Margaret, Bryson, Teddy, Chase, Julian and Collier. Earl has created a beautiful legacy of faith, love, family and commitment in his long life that he passes on to the current and future generations of the Phillips’ family and those who knew and loved him.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to the St. Andrew Potato Project. Please make checks payable to St. Mark United Methodist Church with St. Andrew Potato Project written on the memo line. Checks can be mailed to 2675 Washington St., Iowa City, IA 52245. Memories and condolences may be expressed at Earl’s obituary page at www.gayandciha.com.