Phil was born in New York City on March 30,1924 to Max and Helen Hollinger, who immigrated from Romania and landed on Ellis Island. Phil grew up in the Boyle Heights area of Los Angeles. Following his service in the Army-Air Force as a B-17 crew chief stationed in Las Vegas, he began his career as an airplane mechanic and eventually became a Quality Control Engineer in aerospace and missile defense with TRW until his retirement in 1985. At TRW he worked on many projects, most notably being the Quality Project Manager for the engine that landed the astronauts on the moon and safely returned them to earth during the Apollo 13 incident. Phil was married for 72 years to Dorothy and had 3 sons (Bruce, Steve, and Mark), 6 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren. Phil had one brother, Murray Hollinger, who preceded him in death. Phil died peacefully on April 22, 2026, at the age of 102.
