"My heartfelt condolences to the Shults family as well as Phyllis and Rod Snodgrass and their family. I got to know Phil and several other members of this close knit family at Glass Works. Phil was so clearly a people person and I enjoyed chatting with him there many a time - likewise, when our paths crossed years later. I know, in time you will find comfort in great memories. My thoughts and prayers are with you all at this sad time "
In loving memory of
Phil Shults
July 4, 1948 - January 27, 2023
Philip Douglas Shults, 74, of Quincy, died Friday, Jan. 27, 2023, at home. He died from metastatic bladder cancer believed to be caused by Agent Orange exposure during his service in Vietnam.
Phil was born on July 4, 1948, in Quincy, the son of Eugene and Eva Sutton Shults. They both preceded him in death. He married Joy Davis on Nov. 28, 1970, in Quincy, and she survives.
Phil was a life-long member of Calvary Baptist Church, where he served many years in the sound booth, as an Awana leader and as deacon. If the lights were on and the doors unlocked, he and Joy were there with their children -- and often he was the one who turned the lights on and unlocked the doors. His true ministry was caring for and helping update the church building over the years, and he did so with great skill and a desire to leave it better than he found it. He took great pride in a job done well. His faith in Christ was a constant in his life. He believed the gospel and quietly strived to live a life that pointed others to Christ. He and Joy loved Jesus, loved the church and they showed the love of Jesus through their love of others. Guiding their children in this faith was Job One for them.
Phil is a 1966 graduate of Quincy Senior High School, where he met Joy. On Dec. 13, 1968, Phil's draft number was up, and he was selected to serve his country in Vietnam. Phil and Joy were engaged on Christmas Eve 1968, nine days before he entered the Army on Jan. 2, 1969. He stopped at Ft. Leonard Wood in Missouri and Ft. Lewis in the state of Washington before his trip to Southeast Asia, where Phil served his country with honor in the 101st Airborne. Rising to the rank of Sergeant (E-5), he earned the Bronze Star for his service before being discharged on Aug. 5, 1970. He returned home and married Joy three months later.
Phil didn't talk about Vietnam much, but it was his distinct honor to serve his country. He knew that while he made it back, there were more than 58,000 Americans who didn't, and he didn't want to forget them. With a group of fellow veterans, Phil helped build the Adams County Vietnam Veterans Memorial at the Illinois Veterans Home. In 2017, Phil was able to visit Washington D.C. as part of the Great River Honor Flight. He carried with him a handwritten list of names from the Quincy area who were lost in Vietnam, and he tried his best to visit their names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. It was important to him that he didn't just pass them by. He returned home to a hero's welcome that day as he should have decades earlier.
The men who went to Vietnam returned to civilian life with few services, little help and all the reason in the world to despair. By the grace of God, Phil came back and got to work. He first worked for McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis before returning to Quincy to work at Gardner Denver. His uncle Leslie Sutton got him in the door at Gardner's, but Phil did the rest. He had the mind of an engineer if not the degree and took to the work at Gardner Denver with a desire to do well for the company and for his wife and kids. He started as a draftsman and wound his way through many job titles - dodging buyouts, layoffs and transfers along the way - finishing his work as Customer Service Manager. He liked working in the office at Gardner Denver, but was a kindred spirit to those who worked in the shop. They were the backbone of the company and he respected the hard, physical work they had to do. He believed in Quincy and the workers there, often saying there wasn't anything Gardner Denver produced that couldn't be made in Quincy. Phil often would make it home just in time to catch the end of the evening news, often noting the stock price of GDI. "Up a tenth!" he would say, or sometimes, "wasn't a great day, today."
Phil worked for Gardner Denver for 42 years. At his retirement in 2015, he was presented with a few items his family will cherish: pieces of the original wooden shop floor, a plate from a pump that bore his initials, and the recognition that Phil was "Mr. Gardner Denver." His GDI friends and colleagues were never far from his thoughts.
Phil and Joy filled their free time working in the yard and attending choir concerts, piano recitals, QHS softball games, and QHS tennis matches. They loved Quincy High music and Blue Devil basketball, never missing a musical or a home game. They took great joy watching their kids raise kids of their own. On the rare occasion, Phil could be seen out and about with his fourth child, a red 1960 Corvette convertible.
In addition to Joy, Phil is survived by two daughters, Jenny (Bill) Kigar, of Woodville, Ohio, and Christy (Jay) Wavering of Chatham, and a son, Joe (Gretchen) Shults of Columbia, Mo. Also surviving are 11 grandchildren, Joe (Noel), Jonathan, Olivia and Justin Kigar; Clara, Lola and Nora Wavering; and Jackson, Tyler, Wilson and Maggie Shults; his sister, Phyllis (Rod) Snodgrass of Palmyra, Mo.; and numerous other family members and friends.
Services: 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, February 1, 2023 at Calvary Baptist Church with Rev. David Bower officiating.
Visitation: 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 31, 2023 at Calvary Baptist Church.
Burial: Greenmount Cemetery with military honors provided by American Legion Post 37 and the United State Army Funeral Honors Detail.
Memorials: Calvary Baptist Church Building and Ground Fund, Great River Honor Flights, or Blessing Foundation for Hospice. Memorial Donations may be made online at https://memorials.hansenspear.com
www.hansenspear.com
Hansen-Spear Funeral Directors are in charge of arrangements.
Tributes
"Our deepest condolences to Joy and the Shultz family. Phil was a great person and we always enjoyed seeing and talking to him at tennis events. "
"Bob and Madeline Hagemann Joy and family, I was very saddened to hear of Phil's death. Madeline and I express our deepest condolences to you and your family."
"Joy I'm sorry I can not attend the services for Phil due to some health problems. I was extremely happy to see that David Bower was officiating at the services. I know that Dave and Phil were very close friends for many years. I first meet Phil when we were in the 7th grade and we became friends for ever. He will be missed by many of us that proudly called him friend. He will be in our thoughts and prayers. Greg Howe"
"It is with great sadness that we bid farewell to our friend, Phil Shults ? He and Joy have continually been selfless volunteers and supporters of music, athletics and all things children in Quincy ever since I first had the privilege of meeting them as amazing parents in the Quincy Public Schools. Phil?s kind words and gentle spirit were always a source of quiet strength during good times and bad. His love and support for his children and family was stellar and an inspiration for other children as well as his own! Phil and Joy, we will always count you as special blessings in our lives and careers. Joy, May you and your beautiful family keep your memories close to your hearts during this difficult time! The Lord Bless and Keep You All! ????"
"RIP Phil, Class of 66. My deepest sympathy to his wife, family and friends"
"Dear Shults Family, We remember Phil and Joy as Volkswagen customers when we owned the Quincy dealership. More recently we saw them many times at the Blue Devil basketball games. Sometimes we would spend a bit of time with them in St. Louis as we had mutual friends who lived there. May all the wonderful memories of times gone by comfort you at this time. As ever, Dick & Pat (dicks) Wentura"
"What a wonderful person and family He loved GD like I did 42 for Phil 44 for me. What a great Christian family .if everyone was like Phil we would have very few problems in the world today. Prayers are with everyone during this hard times. He went to be with the Lord to soon. Richard Anderson qcy il"
"I really did not know Phil personally but my wife, Karen worked for almost 20 years at GDI and retired last February and always spoke highly of Phil. Whenever I would see Phil around town, the barber shop he world always and I might add quite genuinely ask how Karen and our family were doing. Just a quick hello but heartfelt. Our thoughts and prayers for your comfort at this time."
"There?s so much I didn?t know about Phil until reading his obituary. I knew the parts that mention sound booth, door locker, lights, general building maintenance and Sparkie leader. He was always there and had such a warm smile. Thinking of all of you."
"We did not know Mr. Shults, but we will carry a special place in our hearts for him as he is our brother.
DAV Chapter 32 in Quincy"
"I have fond memories of Phil when I worked with Gardner Denver. We had many laughs together. As a Vietnam Veteran, "Welcome Home and Thank you for your service" . "We loved our country when our country didn;y love us". May the Peace of the Lord be with you...Milt and Pat DeLair Rock Hill, SC"
"My twin sister. Jan. and I met Phil when we first attended Calvary Baptist Church in 1954 in our Sunday School class. He, Dave Bower and Jan and I became great friends. Every Saturday we would appear on TV Kids Bible show on WGEM. Mamy a time Phil and Dave would come out to our farm, and we always had so much fun. Then in 1956 our family moved to Arizona. Every few years we would come back to visit family in Quincy. We would always attend church at Calvary and got to see Phil. So many great memories. He was just the nicest, sweetest guy in the world. I am grateful Jan, and I came back this past summer for a family reunion and got to see him one last time. My thoughts and prayers are with Joy and his family. "
"He and Dave Bower were the first boys Joyce and I slept with. (We were only 7). Even though we moved to AZ, we always remained friends through those many years. Our deepest condolences to Joy and family. We all can take comfort in knowing we will see Phil again one day. "
"Deepest sympathy Joy. May you find comfort in your memories. "