Phillip George Weitz

Phillip George Weitz
On July 17th, 2024, our loving husband/father/grandfather was called home after a very long battle with cancer.
Phillip was the youngest son of Fred and Alice Weitz. He was born in Weiser Idaho in 1941 but lived his entire childhood on the Oregon side with his brothers, the oldest brother Fred Weitz known to most of us as Wes and the middle brother Chuck Weitz. The Weitz family was a small farming family where Phil learned family values, how to be resourceful, productive, and hard working at a very early age.
The three Weitz boys were adventurous and loved hunting, fishing and building their own hot rod cars. Phil also loved to be on the river. He built his own race boat and was a competitive racer on the circuit. It was at one of the races where he met his soulmate, Judy Derr. They dated for a couple years before marrying. They became Mr. & Mrs. Weitz on July 13th, 1963. They soon began their family, first their daughter Robin, and 3 years later their son Troy.
Phil was employed by local farmers before accepting employment with the National Marine Fisheries, he worked with them for 33 years. The fisheries moved them from their hometown and to several locations before they settled in Burbank Washington in 1970.
Phil regarded his family values and was always supportive and present in his family activities. Always attended school functions, sports and all the other activities. We were an active family, we did a lot of camping in the mountains and on the coast, Phil's two favorite places. We played in the river water, had picnics, swam, fished, water skied or just went for an evening cruise up the Snake River for a quick dip in the water after work. Phil also loved his time on his motorcycle. He used it for transportation, but also for fun. He would go on long day rides with friends to a destination that would be determined the day before.
Judy and Robin were heavily into horses and the local saddle club. Phil did not like horses, except for one, that was Brownie. With her he would take short rides with us. We spent many camping trips in the Tucannon area. Riding horses, fishing and spending hours around the huge campfire with the rest of the families at the camp. Phil supported our activities by hauling hay, building three horse barns, tack rooms, feeders, even our horse trailers. He rebuilt the saddle club cook shack and worked many weekends flipping burgers. He helped relocate the saddle club from Hood Park down to Hanson loop at its current location.
Troy was into hunting. Every year the two of them planned, scouted, and had long hunting trips. They would hike in with all their hunting and camping gear with a deer cart Phil made. They were usually always successful, which was really no surprise because Phil could spot a deer a mile away. That was always our traveling game "how many deer or animals you could spot by the time we reached our destination". Phil usually always won, but he did point out all the animals he had seen, and we had missed.
In 1978 our family took up snowmobiling in Tollgate Oregon. It was a ton of fun but a little cramped in the camper. So, in 1982 we bought some mountain land, cleared trees and built a cabin ourselves pounding each nail into the building with our bear hands and hammers. To our family it was a resort. Spending most of our weekends there all summer long picking mushrooms, huckleberries and having BBQ's. All winter was about snowmobiling, breaking trails and finding new hills to climb. As the snowmobiles evolved so did our riding areas. Phil was involved in the Tollgate snowmobile club helping with the Fox & Hound races and building the Christmas tree lights for the drag races.
In Phils later years, his sport of choice was 4-wheeling. He loved traveling to different areas in the Northwest camping, riding the trails, enjoying scenery and spotting game. The different license plates of many states on the side by side will tell the story. But his favorite places to camp were the mountains of his home area Mans Creek Idaho, Wallace Idaho, and of course, Sumpter Oregon which was the very first place he camped as a teenager, and the last place he camped this summer.
Phil survived cancer in 1996 and became a grandfather for the first time. He retired from the fisheries which gave him more time with his 5 grandchildren and their activities. He also dedicated more time as a volunteer firefighter at the Walla-Walla #5 fire district. Phil also worked part-time for ALM farms driving tractors and semi hay trucks. When he retired from there, they missed him for his ability to outwork the younger workers, but mostly for his versatility of skills in all aspects of the job, to design, build and teach the other workers in the maintenance shop.
Phil has always been an honorable and respected man and dearly loved by his family and friends. He is survived by his Wife Judy, Daughter Robin/Barry Headley, Son Troy/Christina Weitz. His grandchildren Milo Headley, Colton Weitz, Heather Headley, Tyler Headley, Cody Weitz, and his Great grandson Isaiah Headley.
Phil, may you rest in peace with your family members that has preceded you in death.
Parents Fred and Alice Weitz, Brother Fred (Wes)/ Judy Weitz, Brother Chuck/Peggy Weitz
Phil will rest next to his parents at the Fairview Cemetery on the Oregon side. A grave site service will be held September 27th.
With all our love, until we meet again.