Thomas J. Phillips, Sr., 76, of Vero Beach, formerly of Port St. Lucie and Chester, N.Y., passed away on Feb. 11, 2016, at Indian River Medical Center.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 53 years, Ann P. Phillips; sons Tommy (Tracy) of Nazareth, Penn., Mickey of Chester, N.Y., Kevin “Fuzz” (Rosemary) of Salisbury Mills, N.Y.; six grandchildren, Michael, Joey, Patrick, Lauren, Lucas and Daniel; sister Margaret M. (George) Grumbach of Chester, N.Y.; brother Michael P. Phillips of Chester, N.Y., and Sr. Margaret M. O’Doherty, OP, sister-in-law, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Phillips was born May 13, 1939, in Bronx, N.Y., to Sadie Jordan and Thomas F. Phillips. He attended St. Helena High School, went on to Iona College, graduating in 1961 with a Bachelors Degree in Social Studies, and then obtained a Masters Degree in Education from Hunter College in 1963.
Employed by The City of New York at The Board of Education, he began his teaching career in 1962 at Alexander Burger IS 139 in the South Bronx, N.Y., and taught at this school for 36 years, until his retirement in 1998.
He was also employed on a part time basis as a Police Officer for the Town and Village of Chester, he worked for the U.S. Customs Service at JFK Airport, and was a Town Councilman for the Town of Chester.
Phillips volunteered with the Chester Ambulance Corp, serving as President for many years. He also volunteered with the Port St. Lucie Police Department on their neighborhood watch team, and coached for Chester Little League.
He was a member of the Knights of Columbus and The Ancient Order of Hibernians, a Eucharistic Minister and Lecture for St. Columba Roman Catholic Church, and also volunteered for the Churches Bazaar Committee and Parish Council.
He was an avid baseball and football fan, with a special interest in Notre Dame Football, and Boston Red Sox and New York Mets Baseball. His favorite pastime was going on cruises with his spouse and he spent his 50th Wedding Anniversary at sea on a cruise with his immediate family. He also loved and enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren.
Services will be at a future date and time in Chester, NY at the convenience of the family. A special thank you to the Indian River County Fire Rescue, and the Doctors, Surgeons, and Nurse’s from the SICU at Indian River Medical Center.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in the name of Thomas J. Phillips, Sr., to the Disabled American Veterans Organization at https://www.dav.org. Online condolences may be made at www.coxgiffordseawinds.com.