Philip William Lillie

Phil was born in 1947 in Marquette, son of Philip and Audrey (Lockhart) Lillie-Wahtera. At a young age his family moved to County Road 550 in the 550 Store area where he enjoyed growing up with friends and relatives in the neighborhood. He enjoyed swimming in Lake Superior and doing the things kids like to do growing up in the U.P. He enjoyed fishing and hunting around Harlow and near the family camp in the Big Garlic area near the old town of Birch off Goldmine Road. The camp was built by his dad along with him, his mom Audrey and his sister Judy in 1956. The area was fond to them having had family who homesteaded in the area and owned the gold mine the road was named for. As a young man, Phil worked hard in the woods with his dad cutting and loading logs by hand to haul to Cliff Dow and unload by hand again. He was part of the first class to graduate from the newly built Marquette Senior High School in 1965 and joined the US Navy a few weeks later, serving aboard a destroyer as a boilerman during the Vietnam War and coming home from active duty in 1968. He was honorably discharged in 1971 after serving his country overseas. He was hired by the Upper Peninsula Power Company at the Presque Isle Power Plant shortly after returning home in 1968.

He married Karen Jane Wiitanen in 1970 and they made their home next to the 550 Store, building their house over several years with Phil working at the plant and Karen working the Marquette General Hospital in the OR as a Surgical Technician. They raised their two sons, Stephen and Brian there and had a good life living on “the road”. Phil became a Charter Member of the Marquette Volunteer Fire Department in 1975 serving his community for a number of years. He was an avid race fan and raced for several years at Sands Speedway. He was known for his driving ability by friends and family, especially his sons who were on many an adventure on fishing and hunting trips with Pa behind the wheel of a Ford Bronco and later in his black F-150 with the 427 he put in himself. He was great at fixing most anything and rarely was there a repairman at the house.

Phil retired from the Wisconsin Electric Presque Isle Power Plant in 2005. He and Karen enjoyed many summers at the small camp they bought on Hovey Lake near the Buckhorn, exploring the many lakes around the area with good friends John and Pat Payne and trying his luck fishing on as many as he could. He always enjoyed going to camp in Birch with his sons and grandsons especially if there was a deer down and fresh venison in the pan. He still loved heading up to the Harlow area and checking for rainbow in the Harlow, Bismark, and Nash rivers this time of year and scouting around looking for blueberries in the summer with his good friend Bob Burns. A life well lived and an inspiration to all who knew him.

Philip is survived by his wife, Karen; sons, Stephen (Kristi) Lillie of Marquette and Brian (Becky) Lillie of Negaunee; grandchildren, Anna (Brian) Hart, Darin Lillie, Jacob Lillie, Matthew Lillie, and Ella Lillie; great-grandchildren, Peter Hart, A.J. Hart, Jaxon Hart, Ruby Hart, Ryne Hart; and nephew, Ronald (Emily) Britton. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Judith Britton-Revord.

Services will be held at Fassbender Swanson Hansen Funeral and Cremation Services on Thursday, April 23rd. Friends may call beginning at 11:00 am until the time of service at 12:30 pm. A reception will be available throughout the visitation and following the service.

Fassbender Swanson Hansen Funeral and Cremation Services is serving the family, where condolences may be expressed online at fassbenderswansonhansen.com