Steamboat Pilot & Today

Philip "Phil" Eggleston of Steamboat Springs, Colo., died May 30, 2005. He was 78. He was born May 21, 1927, in Cleveland.

Phil was the first of two children born to his parents, W. Warner Eggleston and Helen Bredt Eggleston. He attended Lakewood High School in the Cleveland area, where he met his future wife, Marilyn Cole. Immediately after graduating from high school, Phil enlisted in the Marine Corps and served honorably for two years. He then attended Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., and graduated in 1949.

Phil returned to Cleveland with his bride, Marilyn Cole, who he married in 1948. He teamed with his father in a prominent real estate sales and development venture. Phil and Marilyn have four children: Kent, Lynn, Scott and Bredt Eggleston. Phil loved to take his family on trips from Cleveland to most of the states in this great country, including a six-week expedition to Alaska. When his oldest two children, Kent and Lynn, attended college at Colorado State University, he decided to leave Cleveland. He moved to Steamboat Springs in 1971 to remain close to his family.

Within his first year in Steamboat, he purchased and partnered in the local sporting goods store known as Mountain Craft. For more than 10 years as a certified ski instructor, he taught cross-country skiing, outdoors skills and back-country survival. In conjunction with running the store, he returned to some of his real estate development activities in the Steamboat area. Phil was noted for his love of the outdoors, extensive exercise and enjoyment of family gatherings. Phil could be found singing with local choirs throughout the years because he loved music and holiday festivities.

He served on Steamboat Springs City Council from 1975 to 1979 and was appointed by the governor of Colorado in 1978, and reappointed through 1986, to serve on the State Parks Board. The priority of recreational trails and outdoor education for all of Colorado became his focus. Phil knew the parks and trails of Colorado well, as evidenced by his accomplishments of climbing all 54 14,000-foot mountains in the state, and he climbed most of them twice.

Phil was employed by the Upper Yampa Water Conservancy District until his death. He oversaw the construction of the Stagecoach Reservoir Dam and became the Hydroelectric Plant Operator and Administration Assistant after its opening in 1988.

Phil is preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Janice Eggleston-Tanis. He is survived by his wife, Marilyn; and also by his children, Kent Lee (Mia) Eggleston of Idaho, Lynn Eggleston of Arizona, Scott Warner (Dixie) Eggleston of Steamboat Springs and Bredt Philip (Jenny) Eggleston of Fort Collins, Colo. Phil was the proud grandfather of 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He loved his many dogs, especially the latest big, chocolate, scratch-the-floor, lick-your-face labrador named Casey.

Services for Phil Eggleston were held at 11 a.m. Friday, June 3 at the United Methodist Church in Steamboat Springs.

In lieu of flowers, the Eggleston family has requested that donations in memory of Phil Eggleston be given to: Yampa Valley Medical Center or the Steamboat Springs Animal Shelter in care of Yampa Valley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 776090, Steamboat Springs, CO 80477.