Philip Zeblisky

Philip Zeblisky

Phoenix - Zeblisky, Philip, 60 This beautiful man died early on a January morning after LIVING with stage 4 pancreatic cancer for three years and eight months. Along the journey he brought hope to so many others. Phil was born in Mineola, NY and grew up in Bethpage. He attended Bethpage High School, and SUNY Stony Brook in NY, where he met the love of his life and soul mate, his wife Kathy. He studied at the W. Averell Harriman College of Policy Analysis, and graduated with a Master's in Policy Analysis and Management. He began work as a Project Analyst in the New York City Comptroller's Office, and was then awarded a Presidential Management Internship to the U.S. Small Business Administration. The 1980s brought employment at Grumman Aerospace, and after earning a Master's in Accounting in 1988, at Deloitte and Touche. In 1991 he and his love moved to Arizona in search of a better lifestyle. He continued to work in public accounting at KPMG Peat Marwick as an Account Manager, until he joined the Del Webb Corporation in 1993. It was here he found a true passion, serving as an Assistant Controller at Del Webb's Sun City West, and as a Controller at the Foothills and Terravita developments. In 1998 he became Vice President of Finance and Administration during the startup phase of the Anthem development in north Phoenix. He considered this to be one of his finest work experiences, working with an incredible team of talented people. In 2000 he assumed the role of Chief Financial Officer for Del Webb's Nevada operations, and he and his love moved to Las Vegas. After returning to Phoenix in 2002 Phil continued to work in finance and real estate. In 2009 he joined Pivotal Group as a General Manager, with the hope of developing another master planned community. Unfortunately the real estate crash destroyed those dreams. He became interested in elder law, probate and fiduciary services, in addition to finance, and enrolled in law courses at Arizona State University. In 2011 Phil accepted a position as a Court Accountant with the Maricopa County Superior Court Probate Division. He took his role protecting the vulnerable very seriously. On December 6, 1980 he married the love of his life, Kathy, and he treated her like a queen. He arranged everything before his death, and insisted an obituary could only be published without birth or death dates to protect Kathy. He always wanted an equal partnership in his marriage, which he had for 37 years. Now Kathy will have to vacuum. Phil loved being outdoors, whether it was walking, hiking, running or cycling, and he competed in many events. He also loved to travel with Kathy, visiting national parks, cruising Alaska, Hawaii and the Caribbean, and visiting London. His most beloved trip was to the Galapagos Islands. Phil is survived by his wife Kathy, his mother Sophie, his sister Terry Petaja (Michael), his sisters-in-law Lynne Gabriel and Peggy O'Brien, his Aunt Helen Albert, his nieces Dawn Olson (Brett), Laurie Vanatta (Ike), Deb Nawrotzki (Eric), nephew Timothy O'Brien, grand nephews and niece Thomas, Joseph, Vyncent, Vanessa and Nicholas, numerous other aunts, uncles and cousins, and amazing friends. He was preceded in death by his father Theodore and his brother Brian. We wish to thank the amazing team at the HonorHealth Research Institute, where he participated in numerous clinical trials. The cutting edge therapies offered by these trials not only extended his life for over 3 1/2 years, but also provided quality of life. There are so many people to thank at clinic and at TGen and the list would be very long. Very special thanks to Dr. Erkut Borazanci, Dr. Daniel Von Hoff, Lana, Gayle, Brian and Mary. Thank you to Roger Magowitz. Thank you Hospice of the Valley for providing care at life's end. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Seena Magowitz Foundation (include Phil's name in the comments) http://www.seenamagowitzfoundation.org/donate-to-pancreatic-cancer-research/ or to HonorHealth https://www.honorhealth.com/community/honorhealth-foundation/donate Select HonorHealth Research Institute in the drop-down list. Share a memory with Kathy and the family at http://obits.dignitymemorial.com/dignity-memorial/obituary.aspx?n=Philip-Zeblisky&lc=7017&pid=187930792&mid=7734157

Please join us to celebrate Phil's life. A mass will be held at 10:30 am on Saturday, February 17, 2018 at St. Paul's Catholic Church - 330 W Coral Gables Dr, Phoenix, AZ 85023, followed at noon by a luncheon at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort - 11111 N 7th St, Phoenix, AZ 85020.