Donald Phillips

Bellingham — Don Phillips died at Silverado Bellingham Memory Care just shy of his 88th birthday. He was an easy-going, generous, interesting and very funny man, a lover of jazz, minerals, science, wordplay, cats, his family, and many lifelong friends. He was a medical science writer, primarily at the American Hospital Association, and became a significant figure in the field of hospital ethics; after he retired and moved from Chicago to Bellingham, he served as the community representative on Peace Health St. Joseph’s ethics committee for many years. But he was also a big band leader—his last band, The Swing Connection is still going strong—and a major mineral collector, playing a leadership role in various organizations in both fields. He donated portions of his mineral collection to museums and donated his huge collection of music, jazz records, and books about music to Western Washington University. He will be hugely missed by his wife, Lauren, and daughter and grandson Shara and Max. To leave your condolences, please visit The Neptune Society website. And please join us for a gathering to share memories and laughter on May 9 from 2-4 pm in the Clubhouse at Parkway Village at 2015 24th Street.