Editorial: A sad passing

Ending a 40-year career on June 30, the 62-year-old Phillips had been looking forward to doing a little consulting while brushing up on his golf and tennis. His wife, an assistant superintendent in tahe Oceanside school district, had recently retired as well. They were all set for the next phase of their lives when Phillips passed away on Dec. 3.

His legacy in the PUSD will be about a man who cared passionately about education, who oversaw an ambitious school construction project, who urged everyone around him to be the best they could be and who was given the painful task of making deep budget cuts as the economy went south.

“I had many sleepless nights — it felt like I was dismantling the district,” he said in June.

The district Phillips turned over to John Collins remains in remarkably good shape, with hardworking, dedicated teachers, administrators and support staff. Each one of them, along with anyone who has a child in the district, should take a moment and give thanks for the time Phillips spent here.