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January 11, 2010
Services
Private Funeral Arrangements are under the direction of the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne.
John Michael Philips age 84 of Pompton Plains died Monday, January 11, 2010 at home. He died quietly and peacefully in his sleep with his loving family at his side.
He was born on November 25, 1925 in Yonkers, New York - the son of Michael and Josephine Filipczak. He spent his formative years in Wallington and received his formal education at Wallington Grammar School and at Lodi High School graduating with the Class of 1943. He continued his education at Fairleigh Dickinson University and majored in Engineering.
John enlisted in the Army on May 31, 1943 and went on active duty in December 1943. He served during World War II as a Corporal in the 680th Bomber Squadron 504th Bomb Group. His original assignment was working in airplane sheet metal maintenance, but he later flew in combat missions as part of B29 crew in the South Pacific.
He actively participated in the Air Offensive of Japan, the China Offensive, and the Eastern Mandates. Towards the end of the war, he was stationed on the island of Tinian with the crew of the Enola Gay. He received the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.
In 1958 he met Wilma Kuiphoff on a vacation to the Pocono Mountains. They married on April 23, 1960 and had a wonderful marriage together for forty-nine years.
When he returned from the service he moved back to Wallington before purchasing a home in Maywood in 1955. Ten years later, he moved to Branchburg. While living in Branchburg, he spent many happy hours tending to his vegetable garden and peach trees. He attended the South Branch Reformed Church where he served on the church’s governing board several times from 1966 to 1988. Starting in 1988 he wintered in Ormond Beach, Florida and in 1992 he moved to Ormond Beach for his retirement. While in Florida he was a member of the Ormond Beach Presbyterian Church. He then moved to Cedar Crest Village in Pompton Plains in December 2007.
John began working at RCA in Harrison in 1951 and later for the General Electric Corporation in Bridgewater, and the Timex Corporation. He was an electronics process engineer. Originally his specialty was designing vacuum tubes for television sets, radios, and hi fidelity components. Later in his career he worked on refining technological applications for transistors and liquid crystals. Before retirement, he moved into the field of writing computer programs to test electronic components. During the late 1950’s and early 1960’s he appeared in a variety of technical publications as the “RCA TV Repairman.” He also published several scholarly articles on electronic designs. He retired in 1988.
John was gifted with a quiet personality and was a wonderful dancer. He actively participated in the RCA bowling and golf leagues. His life journey was family oriented and he will always be remembered as a father who would do any and everything for his two children.
For many years, he was an active Ham Radio operator and in his younger years he published articles on the subject of radio transmission. Stamp collecting was another of his favorite hobbies. John was an active member of the Knights of Columbus before was married. He also very much enjoyed building and operating Radio Controlled Airplanes with the Flagler County Rams flying club in Flagler Beach, Florida.
Surviving him are his loving wife Wilma (nee Kuiphoff) Philips; one son John Philips and his wife Sarah of Branchburg; one daughter Judy Philips and her husband Paul Scott of Brooklyn, New York; one brother Peter Filipczak of Fair Lawn; two cherished grandchildren William and Peter Philips.
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
Private Funeral Arrangements are under the direction of the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne.
January 11, 2010
Services
Private Funeral Arrangements are under the direction of the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne.
John Michael Philips age 84 of Pompton Plains died Monday, January 11, 2010 at home. He died quietly and peacefully in his sleep with his loving family at his side.
He was born on November 25, 1925 in Yonkers, New York - the son of Michael and Josephine Filipczak. He spent his formative years in Wallington and received his formal education at Wallington Grammar School and at Lodi High School graduating with the Class of 1943. He continued his education at Fairleigh Dickinson University and majored in Engineering.
John enlisted in the Army on May 31, 1943 and went on active duty in December 1943. He served during World War II as a Corporal in the 680th Bomber Squadron 504th Bomb Group. His original assignment was working in airplane sheet metal maintenance, but he later flew in combat missions as part of B29 crew in the South Pacific.
He actively participated in the Air Offensive of Japan, the China Offensive, and the Eastern Mandates. Towards the end of the war, he was stationed on the island of Tinian with the crew of the Enola Gay. He received the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.
In 1958 he met Wilma Kuiphoff on a vacation to the Pocono Mountains. They married on April 23, 1960 and had a wonderful marriage together for forty-nine years.
When he returned from the service he moved back to Wallington before purchasing a home in Maywood in 1955. Ten years later, he moved to Branchburg. While living in Branchburg, he spent many happy hours tending to his vegetable garden and peach trees. He attended the South Branch Reformed Church where he served on the church’s governing board several times from 1966 to 1988. Starting in 1988 he wintered in Ormond Beach, Florida and in 1992 he moved to Ormond Beach for his retirement. While in Florida he was a member of the Ormond Beach Presbyterian Church. He then moved to Cedar Crest Village in Pompton Plains in December 2007.
John began working at RCA in Harrison in 1951 and later for the General Electric Corporation in Bridgewater, and the Timex Corporation. He was an electronics process engineer. Originally his specialty was designing vacuum tubes for television sets, radios, and hi fidelity components. Later in his career he worked on refining technological applications for transistors and liquid crystals. Before retirement, he moved into the field of writing computer programs to test electronic components. During the late 1950’s and early 1960’s he appeared in a variety of technical publications as the “RCA TV Repairman.” He also published several scholarly articles on electronic designs. He retired in 1988.
John was gifted with a quiet personality and was a wonderful dancer. He actively participated in the RCA bowling and golf leagues. His life journey was family oriented and he will always be remembered as a father who would do any and everything for his two children.
For many years, he was an active Ham Radio operator and in his younger years he published articles on the subject of radio transmission. Stamp collecting was another of his favorite hobbies. John was an active member of the Knights of Columbus before was married. He also very much enjoyed building and operating Radio Controlled Airplanes with the Flagler County Rams flying club in Flagler Beach, Florida.
Surviving him are his loving wife Wilma (nee Kuiphoff) Philips; one son John Philips and his wife Sarah of Branchburg; one daughter Judy Philips and her husband Paul Scott of Brooklyn, New York; one brother Peter Filipczak of Fair Lawn; two cherished grandchildren William and Peter Philips.
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