Philip Nettre Lilienthal III

Phil Lilienthal died on December 1st, 2010 at the Healdsburg Hospital three months before his 85th birthday. He was the son of Philip and Ruth Haas Lilienthal and raised in Hillsborough, CA. He attended Menlo School and Santa Catalina School for Boys and joined the US Army Air Corps in 1943. After the war ended he attended UC Davis and later managed California Delta Farms, a family enterprise, flying his plane from Napa to Stockton on a daily commute. He married Ruth Liebes and had two daughters, Marjorie Ornales of Dallas and Judy Leaske of San Carlos. He married Marjorie Huguet in 1965 and they raised their four children in Atherton, Victoria of San Francisco, Kathryn Inkster who lives in Singapore, Maggie MacNab of Santa Rosa and John who is currently serving with the US Army in Afghanistan. Phil also leaves 14 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. In 1986 he and Marjorie moved to Healdsburg and created a home in the Alexander Valley. There they were introduced to fly-fishing and traveled widely to fish. Phil also has deep roots in California and loved to drive all over the state. "We are making great time, but we are lost" was a family joke. He explored adventurously, told vivid stories, and was especially tender towards animals. "Mr. L" was beloved in the neighborhood where he raised his children as the father who rescued kids from trees, had a nickname for everyone, and piled the gang in the back of his old Chevy truck for a trip to the ice cream parlor on summer afternoons. He lived with a soft sensitivity to individual vulnerabilities. To family, friends, and those who knew Phil around town, at the bakery, grocery store, and other favorite stops, he was funny and warm. To the broader community, he was philanthropic and gave generously to the Boy Scouts of America and local community organizations. He also served on the Boards of Trustees for both Castilleja School (Palo Alto) and Sacred Heart School (Menlo Park). The Lilienthals will have a Memorial for Phil at their home on December 19th at 2:00 p.m. for family and friends. They also wish to express their gratitude to the Healdsburg Hospital and to Paul Marguglio for the wonderful care that Phil received. They would like any gifts in his memory to go to the Healdsburg District Hospital Foundation.