Stanley Poll Phillips

Stanley Poll Phillips, 87, beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, passed away quietly and peacefully in his sleep on October 25, 2018 at his home in Orting, WA. His last spoken words on earth were to Zelda, his cherished wife of 62 years, as he told her he loved her. Stan was born January 31, 1931 to Joseph Milton Phillips and Charlotte Louisa Poll in Ucon, Idaho. He grew up on the family farm as the youngest of 5 children during the heart of the Great Depression where he learned to work hard from a very young age. There wasn't much time to play. Years later, when asked by his kids and grandkids to tell them stories about when he was a child, he would joke that he was never a child. From that humble beginning he also learned the value of a dollar, and to his last days he kept meticulous financial records, accounting for every penny he spent. He hated spending money on himself but when he purchased gifts for those he loved, he always spent whatever it took to get something that would last. Stan loved music and especially loved to sing. He began singing to the cows when he took over the milking job at 7 yrs old, and upgraded his audiences as he grew older. He had a beautiful tenor voice and sang with school, community, and church choirs throughout his life. But his favorite, by far, was singing at home with his family as his daughters played the piano. He graduated from Ucon High School in 1949, served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Pacific Northwest from 1950 to 1952, then served as a military police officer in the U.S. Army from 1953 to 1955 where he was first stationed at Fort Lewis, then in France. He knew he didn't want to farm for a living, and that travel away from Idaho must have struck a chord with him because over the course of his life he lived more than 10 years overseas, traveled to almost every state in the union, and visited 20 foreign countries, from Mexico to Malaysia. In April, 1955, less than 2 months after his military service was completed, Stan's sister-in-law set him up on a blind date with Zelda Going, one of the nursing students at the nursing school she worked at. It took him 5 months to call on her for a second date, but only 3 months after that to realize she was the one for him. They were engaged on Christmas Eve, then married May 25, 1956 in the Idaho Falls temple. Stan worked many different jobs throughout his early adult life, but it wasn't until he took the Civil Servant exam in 1957 that his career began. For the next 27 years Stan worked in many capacities within the Immigration and Naturalization Service, starting as a Border Patrol Agent in Southern California, and finishing as Officer in Charge of Immigration at the embassy in Manila, Philippines. He retired in 1984 and moved back to the Pacific Northwest he had grown to love, homesteading on 10 acres of timberland in Winlock, WA until 2005 when he and Zelda downsized to their current home in Orting, WA. Affectionately known to his family as "Gramps" (and sometimes "Grumpy Gramps"), he loved to see his grandkids come . . . and he loved to see them go! Whenever they arrived, he insisted they give him a hug as he asked them if they were any good. "Yes, of course!" was the trained response, whereupon he would ask, "And what are you good for?" "Gramps!" they would exclaim. He wanted them to never forget they were of worth, and that he would always love them. He left a legacy of church service, fulfilling many callings and serving five full-time missions. The first was as a young man, then he and Zelda served four missions together including two to the Philippines, one in the London, England temple, and another as employment specialists. But his favorite service was as a temple Sealer, where he united families for almost 25 years. The first marriage he performed was for his youngest son (Craig to Amy Freeman), and the last was for Craig and Amy’s oldest son (Steven to Ruby Shreeve), just two months before he passed away. Stan is survived by Zelda, his eternal companion; children Sue Phillips of Globe, AZ, Julie Phillips Gunderson of Mesa, AZ, Brian Douglas Phillips of Tacoma, WA, and Craig Gilbert Phillips (Amy) of Pasco, WA; 21 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by two sons, Steven Poll Phillips and Kevin Douglas Phillips, his parents, brothers William and Richard, and sisters Erma and Leah. Funeral services will be held Thursday, November 1, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 13612 224th St E, Graham, WA. A public viewing will be held at the church from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. Interment will be at the Ucon Cemetery, Ucon, Idaho, Saturday, November 3rd, at 11:00 a.m.