Philip Josef Glowa

1993 - 2021

Philip Josef Glowa, 27, passed away at home in Fairbanks on Feb. 1, 2021.
Philip was born in Praia, Cabo Verde, West Africa in 1993. As a boy, he lived in Rhode Island, Idaho, New York and Pennsylvania, with frequent visits with grandparents in Germany and many happy summers in Europe and in the Adirondacks. Philip moved to Fairbanks in 2007 when his father was hired to teach German at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Philip graduated from West Valley High School, excelling in music and languages. He performed a bass concerto with the West Valley Orchestra, and won awards for musicianship and language declamation at the state level. A natural born musician, Philip played piano, bass, and sang in many in numerous ensembles including the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra, Opera Fairbanks, Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival groups, top local jazz ensembles and Fireweed Fiddle.
Philip attended UAF, graduating in 2019 with degrees in Spanish and German and minoring in music. He spent an exchange year at SUNY Potsdam, where a composition was performed and recorded by the Crane jazz ensemble. He also studied in Madrid, Spain. At UAF, he was KSUA music director from 2017-19. His musical visions strongly shaped the programming, and he was a frequent host of KSUA shows. Phil did sound for UAF pub and local bands, and hoped to pursue a career in sound design.
Philip enjoyed painting, filmmaking, creating digital art works, tinkering with vintage media equipment and composing, producing numerous electronic music pieces that received critical acclaim in online circles. He loved sci-fi novels and roleplaying games, and was constantly researching history and esoteric subjects. He loved nature and the land of the Interior, enjoyed spending time outdoors hiking, swimming, and exploring, and had a deep respect for the history, culture, and political struggles of Alaska Native peoples.
In his early 20s, Phil was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and he struggled with the disease. He was employed by the Fairbanks Daily News Miner production room at the time of his accidental death. Phil was loved by many for his sense of humor, compassion, keen intelligence and musicianship. He was a one-of-a-kind person who will be missed by many friends and family locally and internationally.
Philip was preceded in death by his grandparents, Konrad and Hedwig Glowa, and his uncle, Christian Glowa, of Paderborn, Germany. Philip is survived by his parents, Josef Glowa and Susan Hurley-Glowa of Fairbanks, Alaska, and Brownsville, Texas; his brother, Tristan Glowa; his grandparents, Daniel and Jane Hurley in Potsdam, New York; and extended family in Germany, Virginia, Texas, California and New York.
Because of COVID-19, an online celebration of life will be scheduled in the coming weeks. A scholarship is being established in his honor. Questions and/or contributions can be directed to The Glowas, 2010 St. Bernard Dr., Fairbanks, AK, 99709.