Philip Ware

1948 - 2024

Philip Howard Ware

1948-2024

- Philip Howard Ware, beloved husband, father and grandfather, slipped quietly away on the morning of December 17, 2024 - the hunter home from the hills.

Born April 12,1948, Phil was the second son of four children born to LaVar and Ione Ware. Phil was born on his grandma's kitchen table in Orangeville, UT - an appropriate beginning for a humble man who didn't appreciate big entrances or a lot of attention.

Phil's early years were spent in Sandy, UT. It was evident at an early age that he loved adventures and all Heavenly Father's creatures and creations. He loved caring for his saltwater fish tank and betta fish as a little boy. He loved learning about birds and trees and anything that involved the natural world around him. He was, even as a child, sensitive, loving, and kind to all the little creatures and his family and friends.

As a young man, he played the trumpet. He enjoyed music of all kinds, especially the Beach Boys, Jim Croce, and Creedence Clearwater Revival.

His priority was to serve God always - first and foremost. At the age of 19, he began the first of many travel adventures by serving a mission in New Zealand for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. How he loved New Zealand! He fell in love with the Kiwis, the Samoans, the Tongans, and the M?ori people there. He immersed himself in loving, teaching, and serving them.

One of his favorite stories was while he was still in the Salt Lake City Mission Training Center, he was entrusted by the First Presidency of the church to take the first temple film to Tahiti. He was instructed to never let the film out of his hands until it was given to area authorities when he arrived. As with everything sacred in his life, he took the charge seriously. During the long journey to Tahiti, he never let the film out of his hands until it was safely delivered. Phil's lifelong love of the Pacific Islander people began in New Zealand. He loved them and related to their goodness, love and culture, and they loved him in return.

After his mission, he began what would become a lifelong career as a banker. He began as a teller at Central Bank in Provo. His was the second account to be opened in the history of Central Bank - a fact he always enjoyed sharing.

Phil was a hardworking beloved employee wherever he went. He made friends easily because he loved learning about other people. He has the ability and gift of putting others first. He loves people, and people always loved him.

During his early banking years, he became the father to Natalie, Michael, Tammy and Sarah Ellen. He loves his children with all of his being. He made them a priority always. When Natalie was born, he made her a teddy bear with all the love and tenderness Phil always had for his kids. Being Phil's only son, Mike was always Phil's best buddy. He knew how Mike ticked and guided him to become a successful man. Tammy was Phil's "little birdy legs". Sarah Ellen was his tender-hearted and constantly loving daughter. How he loves his kids.

When divorce devastated Phil's life, he thought first and foremost of his kids. He sacrificed everything to make sure they were loved and cared for. He always sent them tender little cards. They were his priority always.

After nearly ten years of living alone and broken-hearted, his friend, Mike, said Phil needed to meet his neighbor, Carolyn Byron, who was a single mother of six, and was equally alone and broken-hearted. It took a few calls from Phil to convince Carolyn that maybe they should get to know each other. Imagine any man wanting to invite a woman with six children into his life. Phil did - with his kindness, goodness, and his patient loving way, he won Carolyn's heart for all eternity. He took such good care of that heart of hers through twenty-four years of the most wonderful marriage. He treated Carolyn's kids: Jenny, Karen, Kenny, David, Steven, and Robbie with love and respect. And they love him.

Shortly after Phil and Carolyn's marriage, Phil began a new banking career with Celtic Bank as President and CEO. With his expertise and sharp banking skills, he helped Celtic Bank become the bank it is today. He loved all the people he worked with.

Phil and Carolyn, after living in Taylorsville and then South Jordan, made the decision to live in downtown Salt Lake. Together they loved to serve the people of the SLC 13th ward. Phil was a counselor in the bishopric of that ward - then he and Carolyn were called to serve as President and Relief Society President of the Brighton Gardens Branch. It was life-changing to serve those wonderful people.

When the time seemed appropriate, Phil and Carolyn made the decision to move to Kaysville, UT where they could have a home large enough to accommodate their large and expanding family of grandkids.

The biggest draw for Phil in choosing Kaysville was being near Farmington Bay - the place where he and his dad spent so much time together when Phil's dad, LaVar, was in Utah Fish and Game.

Phil and Carolyn continued to serve two consecutive Inner-City missions in the 13th Ward for several years.

At the conclusion of Phil's career with Celtic Bank, an amazing new opportunity and adventure opened. Phil was asked by the government of American Samoa to install a banking system there. And what an adventure it was! For nearly six years Phil and Carolyn dedicated their lives to getting a bank for the good people of American Samoa. Only Phil was uniquely qualified for such a project. Through much hard work, Phil established the first bank in the Pacific to be connected to the Federal Reserve System of the United States. The Territorial Bank of American Samoa stands today due to his diligence. So impressive was the nature of what he accomplished in American Samoa that American Banker Magazine wrote a feature on his extraordinary efforts and the uniqueness of what was accomplished. The project was the pinnacle of his career as a banker and the highlight of his life to combine his love of banking with his love of the Pacific Islanders, especially the Samoan people.

Shortly after returning home, Carolyn discovered she had breast cancer. Phil was always there loving and supporting her through it.

Then came Covid. Then came Phil's diagnosis of Parkinson's. Life changed so quickly.

Parkinson's tried to rob Phil of his vitality and strength, but he never quit fighting. Over the past three years, he fought a good fight. He always maintained his love, kindness, patience and sense of humor.

During their years of loving together, Phil and Carolyn traveled the world. Most of those adventures included their children. Together they explored Guatemala, New Zealand, Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands, and Peru. They adventured everywhere from Oregon to Maine to Florida. Phil and Carolyn loved adventuring with almost the same passion as they loved each other. Nothing was better than being together and adventuring - whether that be Yellowstone Park (where Phil proposed to Carolyn on December 27, 2001) or exploring the jungles of Panama, summiting Huayna Picchu to simply walking the trails at Farmington Bay. They loved it all.

For Phil, love of Carolyn, his kids, Carolyn's kids and all 25 grandkids was his priority always. He taught every grandchild the scientific name of birds, trees, and sagebrush, and he expected them to remember those names whether it be Haliaeetus leucocephalus (bald eagle) or Sequoia sempervirens (coastal redwood), or Sequoiadendron giganteum (giant sequoia) or Artemesia tridentata (sagebrush), he taught his grandkids to love all things in nature as they loved learning from him. They loved being with him and traveling with him and Carolyn.

At nights, when he and Carolyn couldn't sleep, he read poetry to Carolyn until they fell asleep. He loved the poems of Emily Dickinson and Edgar Allen Poe (especially The Raven and Annabelle Lee, both of which he memorized).

Phil loved shooting his Berrettas. As a young boy he developed a love of duck, pheasant and turkey hunting. He always longed for a good shotgun, and in the end had an amazing collection of them which he generously donated to his loved ones when he could no longer shoot them. It was a difficult thing for him to do, but he knows they will be loved and appreciated by those he shared them with.

The happiest hunting story Phil (and his dad) loved to share was the Great Buffalo Hunt in the Henry Mountains. He loved spending the time with his dad after drawing out, scouting out and shooting a beautiful, large buffalo. He was so happy to share that adventure with all who would listen. The large head hung on the wall for many years to be appreciated by all who saw it.

Anyone who knew Phil, knows two of his favorite things are baseball and Mexican Coca-Cola. His beloved San Francisco Giants were the team he stood behind through thick and thin. It wasn't often he'd be seen without his Giants hat on his head or a Mexican Coke in his hand, offering one to anyone who came to visit.

Phil was a natural leader and teacher. He loved teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. The lessons and talks he gave were always well thought out and full of his anecdotal stories to help those who heard them understand the Savior's teachings and hear the abiding testimony Phil had.

In the end, the decision was made to move to be closer to children. That move was made on December 6, 2024. It was a hard move. Phil and Carolyn loved their home and their ward family and neighbors in Kaysville. Phil's Parkinson's had finally taken a heavy toll. His anxiety had become a dominating and crippling force for him.

After seeing Carolyn safely in their new home, he sat quietly on the sofa in the morning sunshine on Tuesday, December 17, 2024, and "laid himself down with a will". Peacefully, and in his own quiet way, he left the pains and ravages of Parkinson's behind.

He leaves a tremendous hole in our hearts, but we rejoice in knowing he no longer suffers. Oh, how we will miss him.

He will always be remembered for his kindness, selflessness, and interest in and love for others. He is the best husband, father and grandpa any of us could ask for.

Phil is survived by his sweetheart Carolyn Driggs Ware; his brothers Wayne and Gregory; sister Susan/Bob Hawkins; his children Natalie/Joe Adams, Michael/Laura Ware, Tammy/Clint Shumway and Sarah/Neil Wilkinson as well as Carolyn's children: Jenny/Gavin Leonard; Karen/Dan Leister; Kenny Byron; David/Becca Byron; Steven/Kagan Byron and Robert Byron. Also surviving are his twenty-five grandchildren who love and adore him. Phil was preceded in death by his parents Lavar and Ione Ware and sisters-in-law, Bonnie and Beverly Ware.

Funeral services will be held Monday, December 23 at 11:00 AM at the Deseret Stake Center located at 925 Deseret Drive in Kaysville, UT. A viewing will be held 10:00-10:45 AM.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to Missionary Fund: https://donate.churchofjesuschrist.org/contribute/church/missionary-fund

Or: by check to the Eccles Wildlife Education Center at Farmington Bay,

The Zoom link is attached for all who can't attend: https://zoom.us/j/91296986051?pwd=6urAWwv7BqWSacRHRKYSzlIlXV5GXG.1

Right now, he'd be reminding us not to be hard on ourselves and saying, "Who has more fun than us?"