Phillip Neal Thompson

Phillip Neal Thompson, known to everyone who mattered as "Phil," passed away peacefully on March 20, 2026, at Ferris Care Center in Grand Junction, Colorado. He was 57 years old. He left this world the way he moved through it: with quiet courage, humor close at hand, and a faith that had grown deep and certain.
EARLY LIFE
Phil was born on April 2, 1968, in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, a place that never fully let him go. The mountains, rivers, and open skies of western Colorado shaped him early and stayed with him wherever life led. He spent time in Westport, Indiana during his youth, and in the years that followed he lived in Arizona for roughly a decade, as well as in Reno, Nevada and Leadville, Colorado. No matter the address, Phil carried Glenwood Springs inside him.
He was the son of Hugh Robert Thompson and Trula Frances Mineer Thompson.
THE MAN HE WAS
Phil could project a tough exterior, the kind that made strangers keep a respectful distance, but those who knew him found something else entirely underneath: a deeply sensitive, compassionate, and gentle soul. He was thoughtful in ways he rarely advertised, and kind in ways he never expected credit for.
His humor was extraordinary. Phil had the rare gift of making people laugh on their worst days, and he used it freely. He could walk into a room heavy with silence and somehow leave it lighter. That is among the things his family will miss most.
In his younger years, Phil was a gifted athlete. He was an excellent swimmer and diver, known among family and friends for a skill that stopped people cold: a standing backflip. He was proud of that, and more proud still of the times he passed it on to others.
Phil was an avid fisherman until the very end. No matter what else was happening in life, he always found a way to get a line in the water. For him, fishing was less a hobby than a form of conversation with the natural world, one he had been having since childhood on the banks of rivers near Glenwood Springs.
A MOMENT THAT CAPTURES HIM
There is one story that those who knew Phil tend to tell with particular delight. As a young man, he once participated in a two-part harmony serenade for a girlfriend. The song selected was, with full confidence and zero irony, "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." By most accounts, it is the least romantic song ever attempted for such a purpose. But that was Phil: bold, unconventional, and completely unforgettable. When questioned about this choice, he simply turned it around and asked who, exactly, complains about being serenaded.
That same song remained meaningful throughout his life. He was especially fond of the verse:
In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea, With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me. As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free, While God is marching on.
FAITH
In the later chapter of his life, Phil found deep spiritual grounding at the Palisade Nazarene Church in Palisade, Colorado. He made his peace with God, and that peace became a real and settled part of who he was. His family takes comfort in the assurance that Phil has been reunited with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Two psalms he had committed entirely to memory and could recite by heart:
Psalm 23 (KJV)
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Psalm 91 (KJV)
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely, he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most high, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
HIS FINAL BATTLE
Phil faced cancer with the same spirit he brought to everything else: courage, humor, and an unshakeable sense of perspective. He did not go quietly, but he did not go bitterly either. He faced his illness on his own terms and remained recognizably, stubbornly himself until the end.
PRECEDED IN DEATH
Phil was preceded in death by his parents, Hugh Robert Thompson and Trula Frances Mineer Thompson, and by his first true love, Kayla Van Gaalen, whose place in his heart was never forgotten.
SURVIVORS
Phil is survived by his brother, Daniel Hugh Thompson, and his sister-in-law, Elise Marie Thompson, along with their children: Eric Michael Thompson; Matthew David Thompson, his wife Karissa, and their two daughters; and Renee Elise Sunberg. Renee and her late husband were blessed with twin sons, who brought Phil enormous meaning and pride.
He is also survived by his sister, Debra "Debby" Lynne Rushing, and her children: Cassidy Keegan Rushing, James Robert Rushing, and Julianna Rose Rushing, who is married to Samuel Gonzalez. Phil is further survived by extended family, nieces, nephews, and many who loved him.
Phil was previously married to Wendy Barondowski, with whom he shared an important chapter of his life.
MEMORIAL SERVICE
A memorial service will be held at a later date. In keeping with his spirit and his sense of humor, Phil will be cremated and his ashes spread across Colorado in a manner that reflects the man he was.
IN LIEU OF FLOWERS
Donations in Phil's memory may be made to:
Palisade Nazarene Church 3595 Front St, Palisade, CO 81526 (970) 464-7770
Phil's life was not simple, and it was not conventional, but it was real, it was deeply human, and it mattered. He leaves behind stories, laughter, and a presence that will not easily fade. He will be missed more than words can say.