Phillip Tenney

Phillip Key West - Tenney Tenney

Phil lived the best life. A baby boomer of the post-war period, he found a sweet spot in the American Dream.

Philip Tenney was born on February 10th, 1943 in Washington, D.C to his parents E. Paul and Louise Tenney. Phil's dad worked for the U.S. State Department, stationed in various embassies throughout the Middle East, South America and Asia. Phil was afforded the best education and attended Kimball Union Academy, a college prep school in Meriden, New Hampshire, where he excelled as an athlete. Phil didn't have much love for the rigid structure of New England academia. While dabbling with college he found himself joining the Army and was shipped-off to Vietnam.

After his required tour of duty in Southeast Asia Phil returned to the states and began hiking the Appalachian Trail, when his brother, Pete, offered him a job as a Production Assistant on the traveling fishing show "Let's Go Boating with Lloyd" (a show starring Lloyd Bridges). His first production location brought him to Key West in 1973. The cast and crew were lodging at the Pier House Hotel. After checking-in, Phil headed to the hotel bar called the Chart Room.

Thus began the beginning of the rest of Phil's life, a more than fifty year adventure filled with gentlemen pirates and celebrity poets on the magical island of Key West. Phil initially staked his claim as a fine woodworker (losing a couple knuckles in the process) but his glory was realized in his life long stewardship of Louie's Backyard, where he fiddled and putzed daily, maintaining a hundred year-old victorian wood frame structure stationed on the beach, subject to incessant tropical oceanfront weathering. After lunch each day, you would find Phil in his chair at the Afterdeck Bar, gazing at the ocean's horizon, pontificating with patrons, Budweiser long-neck at the ready.

Before launching into the restaurant business and revisioning Louie's, Phil married Pat Tenney in 1974 and they had a son named Jed. The Tenney family, along with a handful of brilliant chefs and scores of talented staff, managed to grow Louie's Backyard into a world famous culinary and cultural destination. "It wasn't really that hard," Phil would later say. "You just had to show up everyday."

In 2000 Phil married Tracy Cox and welcomed her into the Louie's family, where Tracy served as a dutiful wife and competent financial manager.

Phil passed peacefully July 14th, 2024 in Beaufort, South Carolina. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Pat, his brother, Pete, and his second wife Tracy. Phil is survived by his brother Stuart, and his son, Jed.

Phil Tenney will be remembered as the benevolent King of Louie's Backyard whose faithful stewardship allowed for the flourishing of a legendary Key West culinary and cultural institution. Phil was a kind and gentle soul, and an epic party is planned to celebrate his joyful life.

Please join us at Louie's Backyard on Wednesday, November 13th as we celebrate the beautiful life of Phil Tenney. Call for details 305-294-1061