Phillip Charles Lovelady

In 8th grade, his family briefly moved to Dallas, Texas, where Phil held his first job at his Uncle Price’s hamburger stand, managed by his father.

In 1962, the Lovelady family returned to California and settled in Upland. Phil attended Upland High School (Class of 1966), where he discovered his lifelong passions for rock ’n’ roll and cars. He drove a 1956 Ford convertible and later a black 1966 Chevelle. He worked at his father’s gas station, led the youth group at First United Methodist Church of Upland, and “ran” cross-country—often driving part of the route.

After high school, Phil enrolled at Chaffey College and then transferred to Cal State Fullerton to complete his degree in psychology. It was at Chaffey that Phil met Marcia Chappell, of Ontario, CA. They were married in March 1970 at the First United Methodist Church of Upland. Phil graduated from Cal State Fullerton in June 1970, and he reported to duty with the California National Guard the very next day.

After he finished with boot camp and medic training, Phil earned his teaching credential at Cal Poly Pomona and secured a job as a teacher in Mission Viejo. In 1974, Phil and Marcia moved to Baywood Park on California’s Central Coast, the first in what would be a life-long pattern of moving into the house that needed the most work in the nicest neighborhood that they could afford. Their daughter, Kristen (1975), was born in Baywood Park and their son, Kevin (1978), was born in Atascadero. During these years, Phil worked as an insurance salesman for the Auto Club.

In 1980, the family moved to Sandy, Utah, where Phil began a new role as a publisher’s representative for SRA, traveling extensively across the Western U.S. to sell SRA Reading Labs and other reading materials to school districts. Two years later, they relocated to Holladay, Utah, and in 1983, to Glen Ellyn, Illinois, when Phil accepted a management position with IBM, which had acquired SRA.

After a tough Chicago winter, the family returned to Upland in February 1984 and settled into what would become their long-term community. Phil continued working in textbook sales for most of the remainder of his career, eventually spending some time back in the classroom while continually pursuing his passion for remodeling homes. Marcia and Phil owned and lived in five homes in Upland and remodeled and enjoyed a beautiful home in Lake Arrowhead.

In the 1980s and 1990s, as a member of the United Church of Christ Congregational in Claremont, Phil developed his commitment to serving others and embraced community service with deep enthusiasm and passion. He joined the Upland Foothill Kiwanis Club in 1997, which became one of the great joys and a primary focus of his life. He loved presenting Young Citizen Awards across the Upland Unified School District, sponsoring five Key Clubs across the region, supporting the annual golf fundraiser, attending community events, and building lasting friendships rooted in service and laughter. Phil also served proudly as a board member for Inland Valley Recovery Services (IVRS) and the Highlander Educational Foundation.

It was as a Kiwanian that he discovered his calling to be Santa Claus. Throughout most of his life, Phil swore that he could not grow a beard, but after retirement, he really worked at it, and with his white hair, white beard, red suit with all the trimmings, and “bowl full of jelly” laugh, he charmed children and adults throughout the city. He was Santa Claus at parades and other events, and he visited nursing homes and hospitals, sharing a spirit of joy and a belief in the magic that human connection provides to all of us.

Phil loved to travel. He enjoyed camping and road trips his whole life, and after retirement, he and Marcia began to travel internationally. Together they visited almost every state during their lives and more than a dozen countries, often traveling for weeks at a time and frequently with friends. Phil loved planning these trips and very rarely traveled with organized tours. But on one of the only times that he did, he met one of his dearest friends.

Phil loved and cultivated his friendships. From the Milkshake Club to his Writer’s Group to Kiwanis to the many friends he made and kept from high school, from his career, and through his many moves and travels, Phil loved sharing laughter in a meeting, around a campfire, or at a dinner table.

Phil loved his family deeply and fully. He supported Marcia as she pursued various certifications and a Master’s degree and was so proud of her accomplishments within the Upland Unified School District. He loved his children, his sons-in-law, and his grandchildren. He was always there to provide support and guidance, love, and laughter.

In late June 2025, Phil was diagnosed with advanced bladder cancer. A series of setbacks and infections made his treatment progress difficult and in his final hospitalization his whole body was impacted by these challenges. With his family by his side, Phil decided to end life-sustaining care on October 16, 2025, and passed peacefully shortly thereafter.

He is survived by his wife, Marcia Lovelady; his children, Kevin Lovelady (Guy Schaffer) and Kristen McInnis (Brian) and their children, Elliott and Miles; his sister Sheryl Feinberg (David); his goddaughter Sarah Burns (Steven Moore); his brother- and sister-in-law; and many cousins, second cousins, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his mother and father, Georgianna and Lawrence (Larry) Lovelady; his aunts and uncles, brothers- and sisters-in-law, his nephew, and numerous dear friends.

Phil’s Celebration of Life will be at the First United Methodist Church of Upland on Sunday, November 9 at 3 pm with a reception to follow. A private interment will follow on Monday, November 10 at Bellevue Cemetery in Ontario.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Inland Valley Recovery Service’s Adolescent Treatment Unit; the Upland Foothill Kiwanis Club (Admin Account: Club member scholarships); or the First United Methodist Church of Upland.