Bruce Wendell Phillips

DANVERS – Bruce Wendell Phillips, 78, of Danvers, formerly of Lynn, passed away peacefully on February 8, 2026, at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, after a courageous battle with leukemia.

Born on December 11, 1947, in Lynn, Massachusetts, Bruce was the beloved son of the late James Wendell Phillips and Alma Belle (Cady) Phillips Robbins. He was predeceased by his brother Brian, who passed away in childhood, and his sister Audrey Derwin.

He proudly served in the United States Navy, entering active service on June 28, 1971, and was honorably released on June 4, 1976. He advanced to the rank of Machinery Repairman Petty Officer First Class (MR1) and served aboard the USS Grand Canyon (AR-28), a repair ship homeported in Newport, RI. He received the National Defense Service Medal and was a disabled veteran due to service-connected hearing loss.

Bruce earned his mechanical engineering degree from Wentworth Institute and Lowell Tech, and later his MBA from Suffolk University in Massachusetts. He worked for many years as a sales engineer at Atwood & Morrill in Salem, bringing his technical expertise, integrity, and dedication to the role. He later founded Phillips Engineered Products, where he continued his career as a self-employed machinist and engineer, always approaching every project with skill and precision.

He was the devoted husband of Joan (Parrott) Phillips for 55 cherished years. Together they built a life filled with love and shared memories in the North Shore community. In his free time, Bruce loved skiing, target shooting, and above all, spending time with his family. He was a quiet man of deep loyalty who could fix almost anything and always put those he loved first.

Bruce is survived by his wife Joan; their three sons, Jason Wendell Phillips and his wife Betsy, Michael Paul Phillips and his wife Megan, and David Alan Phillips and his wife Dawn; his brother Rodney Phillips; his nephew Joshua; his seven grandchildren; many nieces and nephews; and a wide circle of extended family and friends who were blessed to know him.

ARRANGEMENTS: In accordance with his wishes, cremation has taken place privately and there will be no public funeral service. At a later date, a memorial marker will be placed at Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne, Massachusetts, in honor of his Navy service. Assisting the family with arrangements is O’Donnell Cremations-Funerals-Celebrations, 167 Maple St., DANVERS. In lieu of flowers, donations in Bruce’s memory may be made to the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, 125 Nashua Street, Suite 540, Boston, MA 02114. To share a memory or offer a condolence please visit www.odonnellfuneralservice.com.