Richard "Dick" Philips

Dick’s mother was Italian and his father was Portuguese. His surname was changed at some point from Phillipe to Phillips.

Dick worked for TWA (Trans World Airlines) as an aircraft technician for many years. He was their expert on fuel tanks in their 747's, and, because he was small and wiry, he could actually go into the tank to execute repairs. Of course his skills went beyond fuel tanks, as he serviced other systems on the aircraft. One day he was leaving to vacation in Hawaii for a week and noticed a plane in the hanger waiting to be repaired. When he returned from his trip the same plane was still sitting there out of service. Dick got to work and had that plane repaired and ready to fly in a matter of hours!

Dick was an avid traveler. Along with his wife Althea, they traveled extensively all over the world. Dick and Althea had a special love for Greece, which they visited many times.

Dick was an accomplished photographer and shot 1000’s of dramatic, breath-taking photos of the many countries and cities he visited.

Dick loved music and was a serious audiophile. He had a very elaborate stereo system and a large collection of vinyl records.

Dick lived most of his life in New York City and enjoyed reminiscing by regularly visiting his old neighbor in Greenwich Village, New York.

One of Dick’s passions was Flamenco Dancing. Being thin and wiry, Dick was quite adept and would welcome any opportunity to show off his knowledge of this art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of Spain.

Dick is survived by brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Ivan (Karen) Engle of Millersville, PA, Darrell (Connie) Engle of Lakewood, CA, and Ellyce Jean (Allen) Charles of Vanderwagen, NM, six nephews, four nieces and eighteen grand nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by a sister, Janet, of Scottsdale, AZ.

A funeral service will be held at Michael Higgins Funeral Home, 321 S. Main St., New City, NY on Jan. 6, 2025, with visitation at 10:00 AM and service at 11:00 AM. Graveside services will be held at Crossroads Brethren in Christ Church in Mount Joy, PA on Jan. 8, 2025 at 3:00 PM.