Phil Engle

J. Phillip "Phil" Engle, age 91, died peacefully on March 4, 2026. in Tiffin, Ohio. He was born on January 29, 1935 at his family farmhouse in Seneca County. Phil rose from very humble beginnings to spend over five decades serving the families of Seneca County and Tiffin, Ohio, as a funeral director and embalmer.

When Phil was 16, he met Adams A. Turner, owner of the Turner Funeral Home, while Adams was outside raking leaves. Adams hired him, and the chance encounter led to Phil finding his calling as a funeral director and eventual owner of the Turner-Engle Funeral Home. It also led to his marriage to Sylvia Rayella Engle, Adams' daughter, on May 9, 1959. Phil was a graduate of Tiffin Public Schools, Bowling Green University, and The Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science.

Phil was deeply devoted to the preservation of the history of his community, and was always active in civic and fraternal organizations, projects, service groups, educational committees, and historical groups. Phil founded and served as chairman of the Tiffin-Seneca County Heritage Festival in 1979, and the Tiffin Heritage Living History Village in 1990. He is a past President and Trustee of Seneca County Convention and Visitors Bureau. His favorite pastime was providing historical and patriotic school programs for the students of Seneca County. His efforts made a lasting impact in Seneca County; in 1993 he was named Citizen of the Year by the Tiffin Area Chamber of Commerce, and he also received numerous honors from the Ohio Association of Historical Societies and Museums for his dedicated work.

Phil was a professional and personal role model to many people over the years, but he was truly a friend to everyone he met. He was active in Demolay and served as Worthy Patron in the Tiffin Masonic Chapter. He enjoyed family gatherings, snow skiing in Colorado, and spending time in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina and Gatlinburg, Tennessee. He also proudly represented his country by serving in the United States Army as a tank driver.

He is survived by his children Matthew (Susan) Engle, Adams (Stephanie) Engle, and Kimberly (Patrick) Griffin; grandchildren Tyler (Maggie) Griffin, Taylor (Dawson) Riley, Turner (Summer) Engle, Carson (Emily) Engle, Riley (Emily) Engle, Arielle Engle, Abby (Eric) Herman, and Andrew Engle; great grandchildren Phillip, Carter, Vivian, Carina, Myles, Maci, and Warner; sister-in-law Pari Carter; and many nieces, nephews, and step-grandchildren.

Phil was preceded in death by his parents, William Rueben Engle and Hazel Margaret Kern; his wife of 54 years, Sylvia Rayella Turner Engle; his brother, Maurice Eugene Engle; and his sister, Margaret Justine McCormick.

The Engle family would like to thank the nurses and staff of Southern Care Hospice for their kindness in making Phil's last days more comfortable. Graveside services for Phil will be at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 16 at Greenlawn Cemetery - Tiffin, Ohio.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Tiffin Historic Trust or to the First Lutheran Church in Tiffin, organizations that were close to Phil's heart.