Ellis Bradley Phillips

Ellis Bradley Phillips, 92, a lifetime Libby resident who was known as one of the last lumber barons, died of natural causes on Tuesday, April 28.

He was born Sept. 22, 1916 in Moore to Ellis and Bessie Noel Phillips. He graduated from Libby High School in 1935 and played on the 1932 state football championship team. In 1943, he married Isabelle Shipman.

During World War II, Mr. Phillips served in the U.S. Army Air Corps as a navigator. When his B-24 was shot down in Austria, he was held as a prisoner of war for one year until liberation by Gen. George S. Patton.

Following the war, he returned to Libby and continued working for J. Neils Lumber Co. After more than 45 years with the company he retired from St. Regis Paper Co. – as it was then known  – as lumber production manager.

He enjoyed woodworking, gardening, hiking the Cabinet Mountains, fly fishing the Kootenai River and supporting local sports. Mr. Phillips was involved in construction of the ski hill on Turner Mountain, the Cabinet View Golf Course, and served on the board of St. John’s Lutheran Hospital.

He married Joan Gruber on July 13, 1979. They spent many years skiing, hiking, gardening and traveling.

He was preceded in death by his first wife in 1975 and his second wife in 2008. Survivors include children, Greg Phillips (Carol) of Kalispell; Byron Phillips (Linda) of Libby; and Dale Phillips of Omak, Wash.; stepchildren, Terri Gruber of Spokane, Wash.; Cathy Anderson (Jim) of Boise, Idaho; Roger Gruber of Havre; and Jeff (Doreen) Gruber of Libby; 17 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

Services will be held Monday, May 4 at 11 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Libby.  Interment will follow the ceremony. Memorials may be made to the Libby VFW.

Schnackenberg & Nelson Funeral Home in Libby handled arrangements.