David Keirsted Phillips Sr., 86, of Glen Allen, passed away peacefully on Friday, February 5, 2021, after a courageous battle with Covid-19. David was preceded in death by his parents, Madeline and Fred Phillips, Sr. and his brother, Dr. Richard Phillips, all of Troy, N.Y. He is survived by his loving wife of 65 years, Dorothy B. Phillips.
Dave and Dorothy were High School sweethearts. Theirs was a marriage made in heaven. He is also survived by his brother Dr. Fred Phillips, Jr. (Norma); sisters-in-law, Ruth Phillips and Judy Schneider; and his four children, Debbie Hopper (Stuart), David Phillips Jr. (Mary), Diane Moulin (Ed) and Gary Phillips (Merisha). He was “Pa” to his eight wonderful grandchildren Mike, Melissa, Kevin, Gayle, Ryan, Kyle, Stephen and Grant. Pa made summer vacations together at N. Litchfield Beach, SC the best! Pa was thrilled when he became a great-grandfather to Ella, Olivia, Audrey, Charlie, Ben, Aiden, Ryland, Carter, Emma, and Caelyn.
David had a 33 year career with the Federal Highway Admin. He graduated from RPI in Troy, N.Y. with a BS in Civil Engineering and a masters from Yale. David spent his entire career working for the U.S. Dept. of Transportation and rose to the ranks of senior Exec. Services, retiring as a Director of Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center. David played a pivotal role in the planning and implementation of the U.S. Interstate Highway System. He was charismatic, competitive in sports, especially tennis, golf, and cards, and he had a great sense of humor. Dave had an amazing work ethic which he passed along to his children. He loved his dog, Sammy. They were inseparable.
We would like to thank the wonderful, caring staff at Our Lady of Hope, especially Dr. Wright, who took Dave in, under comfort care, and allowed the family to visit him in his last days. Dave will be missed every day, but will be in our hearts and memories, always and forever. Due to Covid, the family will have a celebration of Dave’s Life at a later date.
