Christel Klara Phillips

September 16, 1935 — November 11, 2020

Christel Klara Phillips, our dear Mutti (meaning Mother in German) passed away on Nov. 11, 2020, on Veterans Day, to be with her beloved husband of 49 years, Harvey R. Phillips, who was with the Navy and achieved Commander.

She is in a better place and is no longer suffering, may she rest in peace.

She is survived by her daughter, Doris Brown, Heidi Lee, her son Brad Phillips, grandson Nathayn Brown, and Jorg Cellarius her brother in Switzerland, who all will miss her deeply.

She was born on Sept. 16, 1935, in Gellin-Neustatten, Germany and experienced much tragedy and heartache through the German WW2 as a child, but was a survivor and fighter and made it through the other end a stronger person. 

She immigrated to Toronto, Canada to start a new life and new beginnings on Aug. 8 1954 on the Cruiseline “Arosa Star.”

Her life was full of many fascinating adventures, including traveling throughout all parts of the world and also collecting dynasty furniture from China along the way as part of her decor for her four different homes she lived in throughout her life. 

She was a woman of compassion for life and experienced many careers from trying to be a nurse and not enjoying it in Germany after the war,  to being a hairdresser in Toronto, Canada, to finding her true passion — working in the banking industry working her way up to VP Manager of Operations. Her banking career took her to San Diego, California where she spent 29 years of her life raising us kids.

In 1989, she adventured on to St. George Utah where she commuted back and forth to San Diego until she retired from banking. Then she found a new love of working for Intermountain Health Care at the hospital as a volunteer and eventually hired as a staff administrator and even helped put together the Jubilee of Trees event every Xmas. She did this until her husband of 49 years passed of Colon failure in January 2002. After that sadness, she had time to travel and get to know her grandchild Nathayn in Seattle much better who had just been born in Jan 1997. 

She later met Merl Bodell, who she spent 13 years with, and enjoyed his companionship and that of his kids. Peggy, Lane, Wayne and their families, until he passed away in November 2015.

The next five years was spent traveling, visiting her kids and grandson and having some health issues along the way that started keeping her home more in the later years. Her daughter, Doris, flew back and forth from her home and family of Seattle to be with her mother and cared for her for the next five years consistently with live and compassion. 

Then March 18, 2020, she came down with her son, Nathayn to help her mom full time so that she could die peacefuly in her home which was always her wish  and have as much quality life while in the process. We had as many adventures as we could for being ill and enjoyed each moment to the fullest as much as possible. Her needs were taken care with love and compassion until the very end with Christel’s final days of Nov. 11, 2020. She will be so missed by her family and many friends of the community as well as her brother Jorg and family in Switzerland. 

Her memories and adventures were full for 85 years and her treasures of her travels and experiences will live on in all of us that are left behind. 

Her Celebration of Life will be scheduled at a later date due to COVID-19.

Arrangements are made under the direction of Spilsbury Mortuary, 110 S. Bluff St., St. George, Utah. Friends and family are invited to sign her online guestbook at www.spilsburymortuary.com

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!