Daniel Arthur Phillips passed away late in the evening on September 10, 2013 at the home of his sister Jay, after a short bout with cancer, which was diagnosed only 24 days before his passing. Dan made a point of avoiding hospitals all his life, and by his request spent his final days in the comfort of family care.
Dan was born March 11, 1951 in Ritzville Washington, where his mother Nancy was living with her aunt and uncle, Maude and Arthur Teske, while his father James (Jim) attended the University of Portland. Dan received his middle name from his grand uncle Arthur. The young Phillips family moved often in their early years, from Ritzville to Laurel to Missoula to Polson, while father Jim relentlessly pursued a Bachelor’s Degree in Education, ultimately graduating in 1959 from what was then Montana State University in Missoula. The family moved to Helena to start the 1959 school year, and made that their permanent home. It was from Helena High School that Dan graduated in 1969, but not before spending the 1967-68 school year in Lafayette, Louisiana, where his father was completing a Master’s Degree in Computer Science.
After graduating from high school Dan moved to San Francisco and worked at a gas station where he began learning the mechanical skills that he would use and improve throughout his life. Life in San Francisco at the height of the Viet Nam conflict, with its war protest and 60s new age culture, was a stimulating experience for Dan. Nonetheless, he decided that garage mechanic, even in San Francisco, was not the life for him, so he returned to Montana and enrolled at the University of Montana, where he completed three quarters of study.
While at UM Dan began his hotel career as front desk clerk with the Missoula Travelodge. He later transferred to the Helena Travelodge, and soon after was asked to become the resident manager at the Tri-Arc Travelodge in Salt Lake City, where he worked for several years, and where he eventually employed a number of family members, primarily sisters and a cousin. Subsequently he held similar resident manager positions at resort hotels in Park City, UT and Grand Targhee, WY.
The next big adventure in Dan’s life, his movie career, started with the help of his high school friend, Dennis Peterson. Dennis got Dan a job working as a Transportation Coordinator, and later as Transportation Captain, moving vehicles to, from, and around movie production sets. Dan worked on numerous movie sets in locations as diverse as St. Croix, Natchez, Louisiana and many locations in Utah. You may find Dan’s name deep in the credits (Transportation Coordinators are pretty far down) of movies such as Cujo, Halloween 4, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Harry and the Hendersons, and Savannah Smiles. Dan also played bit parts on occasion, in roles such as driving a car and dressing as a policeman.
“Dano” next began his “I swing a hammer” phase, working for Connor Construction and Bob Scott Construction in and around Helena MT. During this time he lived for ten years with his widowed mother, caring for her through her struggle with the Parkinson’s disease that eventually took her life. His most recent construction jobs were with his friend Ray Flaherty.
Dan had several hobbies. He loved to cook, garden and was an avid reader. He cooked ribs many, many times, and even bottled his barbeque sauce for family members during the holidays. He read hundreds, if not thousands of books in his lifetime. It was not uncommon for him to read a book a day. Some of his favorite authors were Lee Child and John Grisham. Dan was an avid Jeopardy armchair contestant, which resulted in many at home Jeopardy matches while listening to Alex Trebek. Many family members and cousins floated the summer Yellowstone River Boat Float trips, carrying on a family tradition which Jim Phillips and his brothers started in the 1960s. Floating in a large rubber raft with his sisters and female cousins, Dan was the “grand poobah” and the girls were the “poobettes’. Each wore their own personal floating hat – pith helmet, straw or cowboy hat, baseball cap, captain’s hat or beret.
Dan’s deep knowledge of construction techniques, home maintenance, and car repair made him a popular first contact for any project that one might undertake, and everyone in the family knew that he would always make time to help, and could be counted on not only for sound advice on how to accomplish a task, but also for an extra set of trained hands to get the job done right. Equally important, Dan was the source of countless stories from his diverse travels and experiences.
Dan was preceded in death by his parents, Jim and Nancy Phillips, and siblings Theresa Jay, Beatrice Ann and James Michael. He is survived by his uncle, Tom Purchase, his wife, Connie and son, Vince of Gig Harbor WA. He is survived by eight sisters and brothers, Lynn Phillips and wife Sharon of Livonia MI, Jay Phillips of Helena, Chris Phillips and husband Rick DeFranco of Clayton NC, Shauna Murray and husband Doug of Juneau AK, Tina Screnar and husband Pat of Montana City, Layne Phillips of Phoenix AZ, Paul Phillips and friend Julie Emge of Helena MT, and Andrea Phillips Meissner and husband Sam Openshaw of Tempe AZ. Dan is also survived by nephews Mark Phillips, JD and Andrew Meissner, Katsin Openshaw, Ryan Screnar and Phillip Murray; nieces Sarah Phillips LaRue, Michelle Phillips, Kristin Screnar Dulaney, Lexie Hogge, Malin Murray and Connie Jay Cordell; and 21 first cousins.
When asked to name a few good friends, Dan replied, “My good friends know who they are”. The Phillips family would like to personally express their gratitude to Tim and Tom Morrow of Helena for their friendship, companionship, and good will toward Dan over a number of years. They exemplify what it means to be a caring friend.
A memorial celebration of Dan’s colorful life will be held at 1pm on Saturday, September 21st at Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home, 3750 North Montana Avenue, Helena, MT. A brief burial service will follow at Forestvale Cemetery. Immediately following the burial service a reception will be held at the home of his sister Jay – 5520 Wagon Wheel Drive. Dan asked that donations be made to Hospice of St. Peters, 2475 Broadway St., Helena MT 59601 (www.stpetes.org). Their kindness and compassion was invaluable to Dan and the family, and is deeply appreciated. Please visit www.aswfuneralhome.com to offer the family a condolence or to share a memory of Dan.
Service Schedule
Celebration of His Life
1:00 p.m.
Saturday September 21, 2013
Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home
3750 N. Montana Ave.
Helena, MT 59602
Burial
Following the celebration of his life
Saturday September 21, 2013
Forestvale Cemetery
Helena, MT 59602
Reception
Following the burial
Saturday September 21, 2013
Jay's House
5520 Wagon Wheel Drive
Helena, MT 59602
Service Schedule
Celebration of His Life
1:00 p.m.
Saturday September 21, 2013
Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home
3750 N. Montana Ave.
Helena, MT 59602
Burial
Following the celebration of his life
Saturday September 21, 2013
Forestvale Cemetery
Helena, MT 59602
Reception
Following the burial
Saturday September 21, 2013
Jay's House
5520 Wagon Wheel Drive
Helena, MT 59602
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Tim and Dodie says
Konichiwa, we will miss Dano our friend and mentor. Bash on as he would say. Our hearts and prayers go out to his family. Love, the Cron family.
Tim Clavin says
Dan was a very unique character not soon forgotten. Long live your memory!
Linda Hall Jacquez says
Growing up in the same neighborhood with Dan, we enjoyed playing “Kick the Can” with he and his siblings. We are so sorry for your loss. The Hall family, Linda and Danny Hall Jacquez
David Alan Pattison says
I was just in Helena after learning of a couple of other friends having cancer and a stroke. I would have enjoyed seeing Dan as I believe it is better to see people before they die rather than talk about them afterwards… Dan was a good man and a close friend. I wish he had kept in touch better over the last 15 years. Happy Trails, my friend.
Hank Muchmore says
I have known and liked Dan since we met in the 7th grade. I feel very lucky our paths crossed
a couple months ago when we both had free time to share a bench in the sun and chuckle
about times our paths had crossed in the following years. There was a winter that was so cold up here and we ended up at a race track in a very warm state and the ponies were good to us until spring or going over a big water fall on the Snake River in what turned out to be a very small raft. There were other instances and we laughed at those memories . I had no idea it would be the last time I would see him. As it turned out it was a good way to say good bye.
lee plillips says
When they rounded up “the usual supects”, that was us. Bash on. Czn Lee
Steven Hagen says
Dan and I spent a lot of time together in our younger days. I can tellyou he was a helluva good guy. Always there when you needed him. Always willing to have a good time. To his family and friends I am sorry for the loss of Dan. I am very fortunate to have spent the time with him. I have thought about him often.
Joe Phillips says
Well here we are again. I pray for all this family with our ever increasing loss of the originals.
I believe that we will all get together again in the next go, hoping that it is closer to the memories of Canyon Ferry back in the day when everything seemed perfect.
See ya again Cuz, it’s closing time.
Joe
Loree Steckler says
Jay, my sincere condolences to you and the rest of your family on the loss of your brother.
Rod Brewer says
Dan was a good friend for a lot of years, many of the things we did were not suitable to be written down; however, Dan did help me with a lot of projects at “the ranch”. In the old days you would find Dan reading books, not pounding nails, but he was a very quick study. We built a pole barn at my place and then took Jim up for a tour. This barn took a lot of steaks and beers to complete. While we were on the deck having a beer with Jim, he said, “Damn, I didn’t think you guys could get this done.” Ha! Ha!
My thanks to Dan and the entire Phillips family for many many things over the years
~Rod Brewer.