Robert “Bob” Phillips, 88, Boone, Iowa
BOONE, Iowa—Robert “Bob” Allen Phillips, age 88, passed away Monday, July 6, 2026, at Westhaven Community in Boone, IA.
Bob was born June 27, 1938, in Des Moines, IA, the son of LaVerne and Pearl (Graham) Phillips. He grew up in Birmingham, IA, and started his education in a one-room schoolhouse, Winchester Grade School. Bob attended Junior and Senior High School at Birmingham Public School and graduated with the Class of 1956.
He enlisted in the US Navy in 1957, where he studied electronics in Foley, AL. Bob was united in marriage to his high school sweetheart, Beverly Ann Kracht on November 2, 1958, in Birmingham, IA. They lived on the Naval Base in Millington, TN, where their daughter, Teresa “Teri” was born in 1960.
Bob transferred to Capa da Cino Naval Base in Naples, Italy. He flew with the Admiral’s plane and was a communications operator for three years. Bob and Beverly’s daughter, Debra “Deb”, was born in Naples Military Hospital in 1962. In 1964, Bob was honorably discharged from the Navy and they moved back to their hometown of Birmingham, IA. Back in Iowa, he worked with a farmer and also worked in an electronics factory for a period of two years.
Bob and Bev chose to return to military life and he joined the US Air Force in 1966. They were stationed at Tinker AFB in Midwest City, OK. Bob worked on repairing electronics on military aircrafts.
He was then stationed at Udorn, Thailand, where he flew 105 missions over North Vietnam, as a radio controller. When Bob returned from overseas, he and Bev (along with Teri and Deb) were stationed at Travis AFB in Fairfield, CA, where he worked and flew C5 aircrafts. In 1971, Rebecca “Becki” Marie was born at Travis AFB Hospital.
Bob and Bev then transferred to Peas AFB in New Hampshire where he continued to work on communication equipment on aircrafts. Bob and Bev spent six months at Keesler AFB in Biloxi, MS. They then moved to Cannon, NM, where he continued to work on communication equipment on aircrafts.
Bob and Bev moved to Boone, so he could be an Air Force Recruiter in Ames. In 1979, Bob was honorably discharged after serving 20 years in the military.
Bob and Bev opened a business called Phillips Office Supply and ran it for several years. He then had several various jobs following his years at the supply store, which some included being in property maintenance at a housing development in Ames and the Life Line program manager for the Home Care division of the Boone County Hospital until his retirement.
Bob was an active member of the First Evangelical Free Church in Boone. He enjoyed men’s Bible Study, mission team and potlucks…where you would often find him close to the front of the line!!!
If you were his friend, he was a true friend. Bob LOVED playing golf, playing cards with his friends, and the IOWA HAWKEYES!! He loved his grandkids and rarely missed any of their sporting events and teasing them.
Bob and Bev enjoyed travelling, especially going to the SPAM museum in Austin, MN, because Bob loved spam, which caused all the girls to shake their heads. He was proud to say he had visited all 50 States and because of the military he visited many countries as well.
He was preceded in death by two daughters, Teresa O’Brien and Debra Skinner; his parents, LaVerne and Pearl Phillips; in-laws, Harry and Ellen Kracht; sister-in-law, Ardis Filer; brothers-in-law, David Kracht, Richard Workman, and Al Gerling; sons-in-law, Gary O’Brien and George Skinner.
Bob is survived by his wife of 67 ½ years, Beverly Phillips of Boone; daughter, Rebecca (Brian) Casey of California; two sisters, Mildred Gerling of West Virginia and Karen Workman of Iowa; brother, Dan Phillips of Iowa; grandson, Michael (Alyssa) Mattson of Iowa; three granddaughters, Elizabeth (Alex) Nederoff of Wisconsin, Brynn (Cole) Anderson of Iowa and Bailee Casey of California; seven great-grandchildren, Anna and Ryan Mattson, Colt and Aria Nederhoff, Laney, Charlie, and Della Anderson; and also, many nieces and nephews.
Bob’s family wishes to thank the Westhaven Community staff for the wonderful care they gave Bob while he was there.
Per Bob’s wishes, cremation has taken place, and there will be a family celebration of Bob’s life held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the American Parkinson Disease Association, “APDA Iowa Chapter” at https://www.apdaparkinson.org/community/iowa/ways-give-ia-donate/
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Schroeder-Reimers Memorial Chapel at Sixth and Marshall Streets in Boone. Online condolences may be left to Bob’s family at www.schroedermemorialchapel.com.
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