Philip Edward Grote, 83, of Ellenton Fl, passed away Monday, July 6, 2020, at Manatee Memorial Hospital.
Phillip was born June 9, 1937 in Indianapolis, Indiana to the late Joseph and Nettie (Cox) Grote.
Philip is survived by his Wife of 38 years, Tula (VanHook) Grote. They were married on March 20, 1982 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Also surviving are his children, 2 daughters and 2 sons; Sharon Sorensen (Gastonia, NC), Donna Ollis (Apex, NC), Bryan Grote (Mount Airy, NC), and Robert Herod (Parrish, FL), 10 Grandchildren, and 7 Great Grandchildren.
He is preceded in death by his brother Tim Grote
Philip served four years in the Military (Air Force) earning a Medal of Good conduct and serving over three of the four years abroad. He was in the Air Force Reserves for an additional 4 years.
Philip grew up farming and learned from that experience that hard work, dedication, and honesty would make you determined and successful. He also grew up with religion and faith as strong foundations. While he was not currently a member of a church, he read the bible regularly and had strong faith. These foundations followed him through his life.
He went into the Air Force and was assigned to work with Nuclear weapons. He wrote an article about being an American that was published in England while stationed there. He continued his success each step of the way throughout his career. Some milestones in his career include working on the development of the cock pit instrumentation for F-15 jet, analysis for Harrier Jet flight, and work at NASA as Safety Systems Analyst & Manager during the Apollo flight years.
Philip (Pops) will most be remembered for his unconditional love, gentle way, humor, and kindness. He always had a story to tell, a drink to share, and a way to help. He was dearly loved and will be greatly missed. He lived his way and died his way; this we are thankful for.
A Memorial Service will be held at Groover Funeral Home in Ellenton, FL on Saturday, July 25th at 3:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
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