story from Dennis Thompson
Wow. This hit pretty hard. My sincerest condolences to the Family. I worked for Phil in his service station; “Phil’s Texaco,” as I recall. I was moon-lighting for Phil in my earlier years at the ‘phone company and that would have been around 1970.
The old story I always understood was that when Phil was pulling an early Ford flathead V8 motor, he’d unhook everything and lift the engine out using only both arms and no mechanical assistance. Being around Phil I always believed it.
Phil, myself, and two nice young ladies double dated once. We went to the Vancouver, B.C.,’s West End. At the evening’s end we returned to the pay parking lot to find my car had been towed. I’d overlooked the week-end pricing fine print. We had to take a cab to China Town to find my car. Not a nice neighborhood. I was not too worried because I knew there was not enough Chinese population in Vancouver to overcome Phil should the occasion require any action. So with Phil there we had no trouble retrieving my car.
A word about Phil’s mother: Ruth is a very nice lady. I knew her from the telephone company. She was always very pleasant and nice to be around. My Best Wishes to Ruth.
I’ve had to leave the congestion of Skagit County for a quieter and drier area in Eastern Washington, so I cannot be at your Celebration at my old Cleveland School. But my thoughts and prayers will be with you on the 14th.
Dennis Blake Thompson
Odessa/Ritzville, WA