Phil J. DeRousseau

Birth date: May 13, 1927 Death date: Jun 13, 2005

Phil DeRousseau was born May 13, 1927 in Tacoma, WA to David and Gladys DeRousseau and passed away June 13, 2005. Phil served honorably in the U.S. Marines during WWII.He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Barbara; sons Douglas Read Obituary

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Anonymous

1058w ago

"Remembrances of Phil"
Here's a remembrance of Phil,
Reminisced by Bill ...
It was at a Rods' get together
Electricity was out! (due to weather)
Only your cabin had power remaining.
There we gathered, hungry, complaining.
Phil posted a sign (amidst hoots and hollers)
"Coffee ... one cup ... 5 dollars!"
Lights blazing, siren blaring,
Disregarding neighbors staring,
In full uniform, Phil pulled in!
On hands and knees climbed the stairs within.
The door opened at the top.
An aggravated Mark looked down at the cop.
It was the first time these two had met.
A life-long friendship was then set!
We all attended Phil's graduation.
A good reason for a family celebration.
Phil, a University of Puget Sound grad,
Proved he could be good and serious, as well as bad!
Phil and Barb had a great garden and yard.
Summers, they both worked very hard.
From the seeds he'd cultivated, sown,
Phil stirred big simmering pots of crops he'd grown.
Phil and friends looked forward to hunting season.
And those gourmet meals (Delores and Barb) ... mighty "pleasin"! When the snow fell and toes were numbing,
they went back to a warm cabin and inside plumbing!
At home, he put pep in his step, with an afternoon drink,
or into his favorite chair he'd sink.
Sometimes he and Barb would get up and go --
to Australia, New Zealand, or good old Reno.
To the strong, stalwart, sturdy marine, the good cop, bad cop, on the scene.
We toast, dearly departed Phil,
"Wish you were healthy and here with us ... still!"##imported-begin##Bill and Janet Hale##imported-end##

Anonymous

1059w ago

Barbara and family,
I will miss Phil's humor and lively character. I must have first met him at Mark and Dorothy's, probably at a party in their basement. Most likely he was wearing Mark's derby hat and laughing, telling "tales".
Phil will be missed. He did good though - he was surrounded by a wonderful family. My condolences to you, Doug, David, Robin and their families. I am sure they, like you, can be comforted with all your memories of Phil.##imported-begin##Roni Hale##imported-end##

Anonymous

1059w ago

Phil came into our family when I was young. My first memories of him were as a wild and crazy motorcycle cop that courted my cousin Barbara who was living with us while working for the Tacoma Police Department and attending business school. Wow! A Harley cop parked in our front driveway on Pacific Avenue. My friends were impressed but not Mom and Dad, who didn't appreciate the notoriety. He had so many interesting jobs (none of which complimented his geology degree). I always wished I could have had just one of them: longshoreman, City cop, PI, ran for political office, safety manager for a brewery and then an insurance company that sent him to out-of-the-way places in Alaska. Lots of good stories and adventures came with each job.
He was one of my father's good elk hunting buddies and got him started going over to the "Shack" each year. I got to see them in action over there a couple times -- shooting holes in the roof was great! They really enjoyed each other's company and always had great stories/pictures from their trips, though few elk. They also would see each other in Tacoma (fireman/policeman) at emergencies and kept things interesting. He enteretained us on trips to Reno. One time he stood on the balcony of his Mapes Hotel room and joked that he was going to jump off if he kept losing money.
He was a member in good standing, though I don't think he ever won, of the Johnson Sisters' Golf Classic at Ocean Shores. Those were the days. I will certainly miss his intellect, humor and ability to keep things lively and entertaining no matter what the occasion. He was always very interested in what I was doing and encouraged me to continue with my education and helped me out of a couple of jams when I was young for which I will always be grateful.
We even got to share one last beer together a couple of days before he passed away.
I will always have lots of fond memories of him. My condolences to my cousin Barbara and her family during this time of need. Her support and patience with Phil not only during his sickness but throughout their marriage was wonderful.##imported-begin##Terry Hale##imported-end##

Anonymous

1060w ago

I worked with Phil at Kaiser until he went to the Olympia Brewery. I was the Medical Dept Supv, and our offices were right next door at that time. All the people employed at Kaiser knew Phil's door was always open - whether it was his assistance in solving a problem or they needed an ear to listen or a shoulder to lean on. Phil was always there for them. He truly was all things to all people - management and workers alike. He really cared for their safety - long before safety became a government concern or the "right thing" for companies to do. He was fun to work with, too, and had a story for everything. I lost touch with Phil after he left, but I know his Family must miss him so.##imported-begin##Rebecca Tomal##imported-end##

Anonymous

1062w ago

Barbara: Like Roger Neal, I remember Phil's great sense of humor and zest for life. He didn't take anyone too seriously, least of all himself. But I also remember his ability to walk into any industry and any safety situation and help the client work through a problem. He truly made life easy for me as a manager.
He was a great guy and a terrific safety consultant. The world, the safety profession and, most of all, those of us who knew him personnally truly lost when he passed. Our hope and prayers are certainly with you and the family at this trying time.
Bob##imported-begin##Bob Holt##imported-end##

Anonymous

1062w ago

Barbara:
I will always consider being able to work with Phil at Marsh a true gift. I am truly sorry for your loss and am praying for peace during this time for you and your family.##imported-begin##Susan Ekness##imported-end##

Anonymous

1062w ago

Barbara and DeRouseau Family,
My sincere condolences on your loss. I feel I was very privileged
to have been fortunate enough to
know Phil. Had some enjoyable and
memorable times fishing and just
being at Quinault. I will miss him. Chuck J.##imported-begin##Charles R. Jellison##imported-end##

Anonymous

1062w ago

I want to send heartfelt thoughts to Doug and his family. I'm sorry.
Mr. & Mrs John M. Jellison/Omaha NE##imported-begin##John M Jellison##imported-end##

Anonymous

1062w ago

Barb,
Sorry to hear about "Two Dog". He earned the nickname when working on the Red Dog Mine project north of the Artic Circle. When he would get back, he'd tell the secretaries stories about how rough it was "out on the trail", and that it was so cold, that he had to sleep with 2 huskies to keep warm. I think they thought he was serious. The only time Phil was serious, was when talking with great pride about his family, or gardening.
Phil never took life seriously, and would not let the usual company politics bother him. He always brought a smile to my face. I remember once when an associate was ranting about the UL label, and simultaneously, Phil and I started singing, Look for the UL Label, to the tune of "Look for the Union Label." Another time, while sitting on a bar stool in Anchorage, he convinced the entire room that he had been sitting next to Cybil Shepard the night before. He hadn't, but everyone thought he had. A great story teller.
When his eyes started to fail, he would tell people that he drove by brail. If he felt the lane bumps on the left, he would turn a little to the right until he felt the bumps under the right tires. Towards the end of his driving, there may have been more truth to that than not.
I honored to have know and worked with Phil, and considered him a real friend.
Thanks for sharing Phil with me for a brief time of his life.
Roger Neal##imported-begin##Roger Neal##imported-end##

Anonymous

1062w ago

This comes from Nick and Family##imported-begin##NIck Beritich##imported-end##

Anonymous

1059w ago

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