Obituary of Charles Phillips

Charles was born in Ewing, Illinois on April 28, 1918, and passed away on November 24, 2012, at home, after a long illness. Charles came to Chico as a civilian employee at the Chico Army Airbase in 1942. He was drafted into the Army Signal Corps, where he was trained as a cryptographer. Upon his discharge in 1946, he was appointed as District Manager of Farmers Insurance Group and held that position for 43 years. Charles believed strongly in community service; among his many fraternal and civic club memberships, he was a charter member of the Exchange Club of Chico since 1946, was a lifetime member of the Chico Leland Stanford Masonic Lodge #111, and many other Masonic related organizations; also the Chico Elks, Chico Eagles Lodge, and was a member of Chico First Christian Church. In 1949, Charles married Lula Gibson of Chico, CA. They were constant companions for 63 years. In 1959, they discovered a mutual enjoyment for their family cabin at Lake Almanor. Many summers and holidays were spent at their cabin and memories made. Charles loved to go fishing at Lake Almanor, to entertain with BBQs, and to roam logging roads in his 1949 Willys Jeep. However, no matter where Charles was, nothing was more important to him than having his family together. Charles is survived by his wife, Lula Phillips; daughters, Susan Cottrell (Bob), Debbie Garcia (Tom); son, Bill Phillips (Trudy); grandchildren, Ericka Evans, Adrienne Anderson, Tim Garcia, Sara Garcia, Jennifer Garcia, Jordan Cottrell; and great-grandchildren, Bailey Anderson, Delilah Anderson, Zoe Evans, Tripp Evans, Wyatt Anderson, and Tommy Anderson. Services will be held at the First Christian Church on Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Alzheimer's Association.