Phil Rence

Jon, so sorry to learn of Phil´s passing.
My thoughts and prayers are with you and the rest of your family.
Phil was always a very colorful and entertaining character.
My deepest sympathies, Craig Jones

Phil sat in front of me in Spanish class in 1975/1976. I'll never forget the day I told him I was a writer. And he said, "Hey, my friend's a writer, too" - and gestured to a serious-looking, dark-haired, handsome boy one row over, a couple of seats back. That boy became my husband in 1984. Without meeting Phil, I cannot imagine what my life would be, and our children and grandchildren would not exist. I remember Phil fondly, and Mark and I reminisce about those days still. I'm sad to see this, and send my condolences to everyone who loved him.

Rest In Peace, friend. I´ve missed you.

Five of the funniest people to ever walk the planet are Gilbert Gottfried, Norm MacDonald, and my three brothers. And now we're down to two. Rest in peace, Phil. Actually, scratch that -- give 'em Hell out there.

Phil got me into gymnastics at Sill Jr. High in 1973. It turned out that gymnastics helped pay for half of my college tuition...

Phil and I were also in Boy Scouts together. One year we did a canoe race at summer camp (Camp Butler). In this race, we did not have any paddles. We had to move the canoe by paddling with our hands. The added challenge was that every time we heard a fog horn sound, we had to jump out of the canoe. Getting back in was easy for us, since we were gymnasts. We got so far ahead of the field that they started sounding the horn every time Phil and I got back into the canoe. There were many times when we were getting back into the canoe for the second and third times before some of the others were getting back for the first time. They eventually stopped sounding the horn and we finished in first place, far ahead of our competitors.

Phil and I reconnected about 8 years ago. Fast forward a few years after reconnecting and I asked Phil if he would like to take a Power Paragliding class with me. When he heard that the plan was to run and fly away, he was ready to go. As most of you know, he ended up buying all of the equipment and flying on his own. When he couldn't run fast enough to take off, he bought a trike setup that allowed him to sit down and still fly. We were in the process of increasing his skills at trike flying when his life was taken far too early. Every day when I look out and see that the wind is blowing softly, I think that this is a good day for Phil to fly.

I sent this to Phil in 2020. It captures Phil´s approach to much in his life.

"A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play; his labor and his leisure; his mind and his body; his education and his recreation. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence through whatever he is doing, and leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing. To himself, he always appears to be doing both." Francesco Vanni

Miss you brother!

Phil with sister Sonya and brother Butch.

Don't hate him because he's beautiful. He can't help it. Everyone in the family is cursed with good looks.

Phil is the one with the goofy look. Wait, that probably doesn't narrow it down. Phil is the one in the center.

Phil and his niece Casey.

That's Phil on the right.

That's Phil on the left.