Ernest Philbrook

Visitation will be from 1-2 PM Monday, June 8th at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, Leawood, KS followed by the Mass of Christian Burial at 2 PM. Friends are asked to wear denim in honor of Ernest.

Born on July 1 in Massachusetts, Ernest lived a long and meaningful life marked by faith, service, generosity, and love for his family. He was known by many names, Ernie, Phil, Papa, Uncle Oink and Daddy.

He was preceded in death by his father, David; his mother, Grace; his five brothers and sisters; and his beloved wife, Barbara. He is survived by his daughter, son, grandchildren and his great-granddaughter.

An Air Force veteran, Ernie met the love of his life, Barbara, while stationed at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas. Las Vegas remained his home for more than 40 years before he later moved to Wisconsin and then to Kansas City eight years ago. But wherever he lived, one constant was his commitment to the Catholic Church. He rarely missed weekly Mass or other religious celebrations. His faith guided his interactions with others. He cared deeply for people, whether through his actions or his generosity.

Ernie loved to build things, and if he built it you knew there were no shortcuts involved. He leaves behind many reminders of his work, including furniture, landscaping, model ships, and more.

Ernie will also be remembered for the joy and laughter he brought to those around him. He loved making people smile. Children loved his Donald Duck voice, and adults would roll their eyes when his dad jokes would sneak into conversations. This was his way of reminding people to love life and not take it too seriously.

More than anything, Ernie will be remembered as a man who lived with integrity, worked through life’s challenges, and embraced each day as a new opportunity not only to make someone happy, but also to find a new project to build or fix. That man loved his tools. He will be missed by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing such an incredible man.