Phillip Glenn Emrich was a man beloved by his family, co-workers and friends.  He was kind, sweet and selfless.  His generosity, like his dry sense of humor, was abundant and limitless.

Born in Oklahoma City on January 23, 1936, Phil grew up in Oklahoma City and Stroud. He later entered the Air Force in 1955 as his brothers had done before him and was honorably discharged (a surprise even to him) in 1958.  His bus dropped him back in Oklahoma, where he happily lived the remainder of his life (though he did get a passport in 2009 and used it once at age 73 for a trip to hit the beach in Mexico!).

He met his wife of 57 years, Madeline Cynthia Jones Emrich, at Central State College in an Algebra 2 class, in which neither were supposed to be enrolled. They married on Friday, November 13, 1959, and attended their first OU football game together the next day as OU beat Army 28-20. He was Sooner Born and Sooner bred – an avid (and sometimes rabid!) Oklahoma Sooners football and St Louis Cardinals baseball fan.

Phillip earned a bachelors and a MBA and enjoyed a long career in the civil service at Tinker Air Force Base and later at Oklahoma's Department of Environmental Quality, eventually retiring at the very early age of 80.  He was always suspicious that his DEQ family was able to throw him a retirement party so quickly…

Phillip was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers and two sisters. He is survived by his wife Madeline and his four children Bill (and wife Susan), Cynthia (and partner Tucker), Laura (and husband Steve), and Tim (and wife Katy), nine grandchildren (William, Brian, Sam, Matthew, Jillian, Nathaniel, Gabriel, Paul, and Henry), eight great grandchildren (Riley, Gavin, Penelope, Salvatore, Tierney, Oliver, Quinn, and Olivia), sister-in-law Wayna (and wife Jerilynn) and last but not least, his sprightly and spunky rescue Schnauzer, Sugar.

Special thanks from his family to the teams at the MDA Clinic, Epworth Villa Household 4, Russell Murray Hospice, the Oklahoma City VA Hospital, Phillip’s veterans service officers and private caretaker, all of whom showed him an incredible outpouring of love and support in his final seven months of life, as he battled and eventually succumbed to complications associated with ALS on July 11, 2017 at the age of 81.
Services and a celebration of Phillip’s life will be held at Resthaven, 500 SW 104th Street in Oklahoma City on Friday, July 14, 2017 at 3:00pm. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to your favorite animal rescue charity or the MDA Clinic in Oklahoma City.

Phillip lived a life full of commitment, selflessness, and honor.  He proudly served his country, and adored, loved and provided for his family. As one dear family friend joked, he is certainly resting comfortably in a well-earned mansion in Heaven.  Phillip may be gone from this Earth, but his spirit lives on in the many people whose lives he so sincerely touched through love, laughter, generosity, and kindness.

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