PHILIP ADAIR VAN THULLENAR

1931 - 2016

THULLENAR The smartest man in the world has died. Philip Adair van Thullenar was born in Texas on a sweltering August day in 1931 and died on a beautiful fall day November 28, 2016. The birth and death of this great man, however, is not nearly as relevant as all the days and nights that he lived to the fullest between those two dates. His parents knew they had the perfect child, which is why they only had one. Phil was intellectually gifted and had tremendous natural athletic ability. He was born in Texas, but due to his father's occupation with the National Weather Service, Phil lived and went to school in Wisconsin, Boston, Salt Lake City, Berlin, Germany and Kansas City. He excelled at hockey and was asked to join the Olympic team when he was in high school in Boston, but his parents insisted his studies come first so he declined and continued to earn straight A's through college. He was such an excellent baseball player in college, he received offers from three major league baseball teams to join their pitching roster. Once again, he and his parents discussed the offer and concluded that while a few years in MLB would indeed be exciting, a career in the medical profession would provide lifelong stability and many opportunities. He attended Rockhurst College, where he met the love of his life, Susan Marie Turgeon. She proclaimed the day she met him she was going to marry him and when that woman sets her mind to something, nothing gets in her way! Phil was a member of the choir and Alpha Sigma NU at Rockhurst. Upon graduation, he attended medical school at St. Louis University where all the men wanted to be like him and all the women knew to stay away from him. Sue had her hooks in and wasn't letting go. After graduating at the top of his class (and narrowly escaping the wrath of his roommate for his annoying habit of loudly chewing on his favorite candy, lemon drops), Phil and Sue were married in September 1956 in Kansas City, Mo. The first of 8 children arrived 9 months later and our dad kept our mom in maternity wear for 10 years! When she told him she wanted 10 children, he didn't bat an eye and truly looked forward to making that wish come true for her. However, after the 8th "baby" arrived as a full-blown toddler, Sue declared, "8 is enough!" Two girls were born in Portland, Ore., three boys came next in KC, then a third daughter arrived at MacDill Air Force base in Tampa, Fla., where Phil was a Captain in the Air Force before they returned to Roeland Park, KS and had their 4th girl and 4th boy, making it a full house. They raised their eight kids in a ranch house up the street from Bishop Miege High School, near St. Agnes grade school, where all eight kids attended, excelled, some were expelled, but all graduated, some with honors, like their dad. Phil truly enjoyed watching his children play sports, sing in concerts, perform in plays and musicals and only bailed one out of jail. He was a patient man. One of our classmates once said, "You must be rich - your dad's a doctor!" Upon hearing this, Phil laughed and said, "I have eight children - I'll never be rich financially! But I am blessed beyond riches in many other ways that no amount of money can buy." The family vacations, annual Memorial Day camping trips and outings to the Kings basketball, KC Blues hockey, Chiefs football and Royals baseball games were always fun and special. Phil provided countless lifelong memories for his children, their friends, his and Sue's friends and extended family members that we will cherish forever. Naturally, after taking his eight (im)perfect kids on vacation every summer, he and Sue always took another vacation - just the two of them to replenish their sanity. Phil was a respected Pathologist at St. Luke's, Menorah, Bethany and Providence Medical Centers. He was the deputy coroner for Wyandotte County, provided brilliant testimony at many trials and was President of the Cancer Association of Wyandotte County. He used to brag (or perhaps threaten?) that he could kill someone and nobody would ever know. . . After suffering a major stroke five years ago, a new Phil emerged. The Phil we grew up with was patient, genteel, fastidious in his appearance and never said a curse word or spoke badly of anyone. After his stroke, a bolder, more outspoken Phil emerged, and he was not afraid to speak his mind, often quite colorfully. He frequently called his sons "Dick", which some attribute to the stroke while others believe it was a subconscious way of him calling his sons out on all the cars of his they wrecked and all the tools of his they "borrowed," never to be seen again. Left behind to carry on Phil's legacy: his beloved wife of 60 years, "Suesy," his children, Diane, Cecile, Andrew, Jeffrey, Ted, Kristin, Ann, and David, their spouses, 20 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren. Funeral Mass at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 2, at Cure of Ars Catholic Church, 9401 Mission Road, Leawood, KS. Rosary will be said at 9:30 a.m. with visitation to follow until Mass. If you feel the urge to spend money, Phil would not want anyone to waste their money on flowers for his funeral. Instead, he would be tickled pink if you planted flowers in your garden or took you and your family out to a movie, a concert or a nice meal at a locally owned restaurant. Memorial donations could be made to Holy Name Church in KCK. He lived a full and happy life, and we are honored to celebrate the dash between the day he entered this world and the day he left it. We encourage you to do the same.