Allen Harry Phillips

Allen Harry Phillips May 29, 1938 — September 23, 2022 FALMOUTH — Beloved husband and father Allen H. Phillips was born in Greenville Maine. Allen was the first of two sons of Daniel Rollins and Elsie Ashe Phillips. The family lived in Shirley Mills, Maine for the first years of Allen’s life. Shirley would remain a central piece of his life and is a legacy he shared with his children, his grandchildren and his friends. Allen graduated at an early age from Framingham High School in 1955. He continued his education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and later returned to Shirley Mills to help on his grandfather’s potato farm where his connection to family deepened. Allen met Anita Deanne Page on a blind date while she was attending Eastern Maine General School of Nursing. This began Allen and Anita’s lifelong partnership. They married in 1959: they would have celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary on October 10th. Early on, Allen realized the value of hard work and how to provide for his family. He believed in what he did and he put effort into it. He was employed with Farm Family Life Insurance Co., putting in long hours with frequent travel throughout the Northeast. He earned his Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), and Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) designations as a young man. Allen joined National Life Insurance Company of Vermont in 1973 as General Agent for the State of Maine, where he grew a significant business throughout the State. He freely collaborated with other general agents to pool knowledge, to improve the business process, and to develop relationships with outstanding results. He was certain in his ethos of providing for one’s family in the event of the unanticipated. He wanted the best for people. Allen was known for having a strong love of family, for being an outstanding friend, and for acting as a supportive employer. He was a man of integrity and strength. He was a dedicated husband, father, family member, and friend. He was always ready to reach out…to lend a hand. Allen loved his camp on Big Indian Pond. The family vacationed on the pond in all seasons, happily roughing it in the remote setting. Friendships were renewed and solidified at camp. Allen hosted annual hunting season gatherings with longtime friends from Framingham, new found friends, and alongside generations of male family members. These events grew to include three generations of friends and family. Through the years Allen canoed the Allagash Wilderness Waterway several times. He also took river trips down the St. John and Black Rivers, the Kennebec, the East and West Branches of the Penobscot, and Webster Stream. He immersed himself in the rich history of the area, and shared his knowledge. He climbed Mt. Katahdin, traveled with the family to enjoy the beauty of Maine’s State Parks, and was familiar with most every area of Maine. Beyond Maine, Allen and Anita would travel extensively throughout his life both professionally and personally. He traveled this continent, to various islands, and in Europe. His love of history and adventure made him an informed and thoughtful traveler. Allen usually had a book he was reading. His prized collection included books by Maine authors and about Maine’s history and her people, beginning with the red paint people. In 2009, with the help of his cousin Ralph and others, Allen self-published a compilation of countless hours of interviews, and historic, and genealogical research: Shirley, The People and Their Town. About the Author states, “…he did this for the benefit of his children and the children of all Shirley families, so that we can understand the strength and hard work of our ancestors, share in their lives, and remember the importance of family and community with pride…” Allen was predeceased by his wife Anita P. Phillips and by and his brother, Col. USAF Ret. Richard F. Phillips. He is survived by his children Daniel Phillips and his wife Lisha, of Naples, and his daughter Nicole Phillips Thurston and her husband Stephen, of New Portland; Marty Phillips, of Clinton; Tracy Phillips and her fiancé Darryl Couture, of Westbrook; Deborah Phillips Brinkworth, of Hampden, and her daughter Graceanne Phillips Brinkworth at Mercyhurst University in Erie, PA; his sister-in-law, Janice Phillips, and Dick’s son, Richard Phillips and his wife, Claudia of VA; his sister-in-law, Nancy Laqualia and her husband Walter, of Scarborough and their children. The family thanks the dedicated staff of the Home Instead Team, who showed the utmost professionalism and who cared for Allen and Anita with outstanding love and respect. Allen will be remembered at a Memorial Service on October 15, 2022 at 11AM at the North Yarmouth Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, 3 Gray Road, North Yarmouth ME 04097. The family invites everyone to gather in the Fellowship Hall after the service for stories and refreshments. Allen and Anita will be interred together in the Shirley Mills cemetery in the spring of 2023. Allen believed strongly in the value of education. People who would like to donate in Allen’s name can donate to The Phillips Family College Scholarship, Maine Community Foundation 245 Maine Street, Ellsworth, ME 04605-1613; or to the Shirley Community Church, 71 West Road, Shirley Mills, ME 04485.