We honor the memory of longtime employee, ๐ฃ๐ต๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ฝ ๐ฅ. ๐๐๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ธ. Phil was a beloved member of the Blue Lake Rancheria family and served the Tribe for over 30 years as an Accountant and Chief Financial Officer. He passed away in 2024, leaving behind a legacy grounded in love, community, and unwavering dedication. Today was his birthday.
Phil was known for his sharp wit and infectious, southern sense of humor, always bringing joy to those around him. He found peace and happiness in the outdoors, especially while hunting and fishing. His passions also included canine agility training, golfing, beekeeping (even though he was allergic to bees), woodworking, and gardening. Whether he was training dogs or harvesting tomatoes, Phil threw himself wholeheartedly into everything he cared about.
Beyond his personal hobbies, Phil was deeply committed to service. He was an active member of the Masons, Kiwanis Club, Ferndale Rotary, and the Spirit of Ferndale. As a 32nd-degree Mason and a respected member of the Eel River Empire Lodge #147 and Scottish Rite Freemasonry, his leadership and generosity made a lasting impact. He was a father figure and a protector to many of those he loved. Phil valued self-sufficiency, but he also had a strong sense of compassion and responsibility for others. During emergencies, he would offer his support to friends, neighbors, and even clientsโchecking in after earthquakes, power outages, and other disruptions to make sure everyone was okay and even delivered fuel to those who needed help restoring heat and electricity.
A gifted storyteller and generous spirit, Phil could often be found sharing zucchini from his overgrown garden, laughing at a poker table, or proudly watching his dogs run through an agility course.
๐๐ช๐ด ๐ง๐ณ๐ช๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐๐ต๐ข๐ค๐ฆ๐บ ๐ด๐ฉ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฅ:
“Phil โ what can I say? Phil was my best friend, semi-retired business partner (smartest guy I ever met), and partner in crime for thirty-plus years. If he called you his friend, you were lucky indeed.
He worked hard and played hard. He retired as the senior partner at Aycock and Edgmon, CPAs in 2017 and began his โretirement gigโ as CFO at the Blue Lake Rancheria while continuing to help out at his old firm one or two days a week. His work at the Blue Lake Rancheria was rewarding, and he enjoyed the friendships he had developed over the years, especially with the Norton and Ramsey families.
When not working, you could find Phil at the marina dock with his boat, The Sea Scout, or out at King Salmon fiddling with his fishing gear. He loved all things related to fishing, even if it was just sitting at the dock tying lures. He loved to fish for salmon whenever it was in season. A False Cape bottom fishing trip was his next best, and you couldnโt beat a trip out to the tuna grounds. The last few years, when salmon was no longer an option, he enjoyed fishing for halibut with the Gadberrys. He caught the biggest halibut of his life with just me on the boat, and all I could do was count to three and tell him to bring it on board. He started laughing and we nearly lost the fish!
A discussion about Phil wouldnโt be complete without mentioning his love of dogs. At one point, he and Judy had fiveโRusty, Slim, Deuce, Ben, and Robert. Phil wanted to socialize his rescue lab and began agility lessons. He even asked me to run his older lab so Rusty wouldnโt feel left out. That ‘six-week class’ turned into 14 years of agility training for me. His passion became mine, except I run corgis.
He also loved gardening and golf, and playing poker with friends. Every summer, he grew far too many zucchini plants, and by August, people would hide from him as he tried to share the bounty. But his tomatoes? Always welcome!
Not a day goes by, especially while Iโm here at Blue Lake Rancheria trying to fill his shoes, that I donโt miss his friendship. He was a great guy.”
โ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ฎ ๐. ๐๐๐๐ข๐ค๐ฃ, ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ฆ๐ง ๐๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ฏ๐ค๐ช๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ง๐ช๐ค๐ฆ๐ณ, ๐๐ญ๐ถ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ค๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ช๐ข
Philโs devotion to those he loved, his humor, generosity, and wisdom, will continue to echo through the Blue Lake Rancheria and beyond. Our hearts are with his wife Judy, and with his many family members and friends who continue to carry his memory forward.
Happy birthday Phil. We miss you buddy. ๐โจ
๐๐ฎ๐ข๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ช๐ต: ๐๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ค๐ช๐ข๐ญ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฌ๐ด ๐ต๐ฐ ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐๐ช๐ฐ๐ด ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐๐ช๐ฎ ๐๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฑ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฐ๐ด
Originally Published: 7/12/2025