Edward Vincent Phillips

Edward Vincent Phillips, 76, of Idaho Falls, passed away April 2, 2022, at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center.

Edward was born August 29, 1945, in Norfolk, Virginia, to Samuel Phillips and Dorothy Webster Phillips. He grew up and attended schools in California with only a few credits shy of graduating from Petaluma High School. From 1966 to 1970 he served in the United States Navy, as a Diesel Mechanic and Carpenter on a boat in the waters of Vietnam and Guam. After his service, he returned to California, married his first wife and moved with her to Idaho to continue his schooling in diesel mechanics. There, they had two sons. Not very long after though, his wife, with their two sons, returned to California and filed for divorce. Edward remained in Idaho. Then he met and married Judy Lee Balls of Aberdeen, Idaho. They were sealed for time and all eternity in the Idaho Falls Temple in December 1975. From there, they moved to Gig Harbor, Washington, and had three children: Christine, Edward, and James. Unfortunately, he and Judy also divorced and the three children were adopted by Judy’s second husband, John Curry of Valdez, Alaska.

Edward worked as a handyman most of his life, helping family, friends and neighbors with odd jobs. After 2 failed marriages, he also became a wanderer, philosopher and poet, knitting a good yarn from time to time as a storyteller. He found it easier to be in nature with the animals than in the city with people. In his later years, however, he met and married Virginia in the state of Washington and loved her until the day of her recent death. He finally stored away his wandering stick when he moved to Idaho Falls, Idaho, in September 2016 to be closer to the later mentioned children. He has been in Idaho Falls ever since.

Edward is survived by his son, James (Phillips) Curry of Idaho Falls, ID; son, Edward (Phillips) Curry of Nampa, ID;  daughter, Christine (Phillips, Curry) Wilson (Brian) of Iona, ID; grandchildren: Mark Wilson of Boise, ID, Sarah Wilson of Iona, ID, Alyssa Wilson of Iona, ID, Aiden Goodsell of Idaho Falls, ID, Johnathan  Goodsell of Idaho Falls, ID; brother, Robert Ranche (Betty), of Salem, OR; sister, Marlene (Ron) Cushing of Nampa, ID; and brother, Russell (Joy) Phillips of Tyler, TX.

He was preceded in death by his father, Samuel Phillips; mother, Dorothy Phillips; ex-wife, Judy Lee Balls (Curry, Walker); and ex-wife, Virgina Phillips.

Graveside services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, April 23, 2022, at the Iona Cemetery.

Military Honors will be performed by the Bonneville County Veterans Memorial Team and the United States Navy Honor Guard.