Philip James Carney II

Philip James Carney II

P hilip was born at St Joseph's Hospital in Denver, Colorado on Thursday, June 1, 1967. He was the third Carney to be born at the hospital: his grandfather was born there in 1904 and his father in 1941. He was the oldest child of Philip and Elaine Carney and spent the first ten months of his life in his parents' town house in Commerce City while the Northglenn family home at 11794 Melody Drive was being built. He was 13 months older than his brother Christopher, and 3 years older than his brother Brian. In December 1971 when he was 4 ½ years old his sister Tara was born.

Philip' parents moved to Northglenn as the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish was founded and church activities were an important part of the years of his youth. IHM, through CCD, Family Religion, and Sacramental Preparation classes, provided education in his faith. Church involvement also involved activities with the Bethlehem Fathers at their center on 128th Avenue.

Philip began 1st grade at Eastlake Elementary because it was too far for students to walk to Westview Elementary in Northglenn. While in elementary school he began playing soccer in the Northglenn Soccer program. He began playing the saxophone when he was ten.

After elementary school he attended Huron Jr High. He participated in Science Fairs for two years and won first place once. He played in the Jr High Band and maintained his skills on the sax and enjoyed playing it all of his life. He wanted to play football, but his mother did not want him to so he wrestled during his junior high years, inspired by his Uncle Mickey, a long-time high school wrestling coach.

Scouting was a big part of his youth. He was Cub Scout in Pack 420 and then a Boy Scout in Troop 98, reaching Life, one rank short of Eagle. He was a Patrol leader and elected to the Order of the Eagle. While a scout he participated in a High Adventure hike across the Grand Mesa, canoed 50 miles down the Platte River in central Wyoming, attended Peaceful Valley Scout Camp in Elizabeth, CO, and Tahosa Scout Camp in Ward, CO and backpacked the Tooth of Time Trail at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico.

Philip attended Northglenn High School and became a gymnast. With no knowledge of the sport, he joined Northglenn's team. Although he performed on all pieces of appartuses, his specialty was horizontal or high bar, and he qualified to participate at State as a Senior.

As he approached graduation, his parents wanted to help him with college enrollment and applications for housing. He informed them that he had been talking to an Army recruiter. Thinking that he felt college was not an option because he was the oldest of at least three who would be in college at the same, time, his parents told him to apply and they would figure out the costs, only to be told that Philip thought 'everyone should be willing to defend their country'.

June 1, 1985, was one of the important days in Philip's life: he graduated from Northglenn High School in the morning; celebrated his 18th birthday at noon; and flew to Fort Sill, Oklahoma in the afternoon to begin basic training! In basic training he excelled and upon his graduation won all the awards for expert marksmanships and physical fitness. Following graduation Philip was a Forward Observer stationed at Fort Polk, Louisiana.

Upon his discharge, Philip returned to live in Colorado. After a year at Fort Lewis College he met and married Michelle Jewby, became the father of Gregory Morgan, was employed as a machinist, bought a house in Lafayette, Colorado and fathered his second child, Joshua.

Philip had acquired a motorcycle while in the Army and motorcycles and riding were a part of his life. After owning several bikes, he bought a Harley Davidson and then began working at dealerships for the brand. He left Lafayette, he and Michelle divorced, and he began living in Firestone. In 2007 he became the father of Olyvia. Following her birth, he was involved in her care and schooling.

During the last years of his life, Philip returned to live in his childhood home with Olyvia on weekends and vacations and to help his family. His sister Tara was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 47, she died in 2021 before her 51st birthday. His father died on April 3, 2024, after a prolonged reaction to an immunization. Since then, Philip has been helping his daughter, a freshman at CU Denver, his mother, and his brothers, Brian and Christopher.

As was his habit, Philip rode his bike to Lafayette on Friday afternoons to visit a friend he had known since he live across the alley from him. He was returning home when he was run into and killed. May his soul and the souls of all the beloved dead of the Carney family rest in peace,