Philip Martin Lelli's Obituary
Longshore leader Philip Martin Lelli was born December 4, 1929, in Edgewood and passed away April 25, 2004, in Puyallup. He was the son of Martin and Mary (Baller) Lelli and attended Fife schools and Pacific Lutheran University. He married Joanne Williams April 18, 1953, in Fife. Phil and Joanne were the proud parents of five sons: Jay (Judith E. Peterson), Marty, Dean (Susan), Vance (Kimberlie) and Ross, and grandparents of Janelle, Jayson A. (Jennifer), Paula, Rori, Scott, Mathew, and Marina. There are three great-grandchildren, MacKenzie, Kailee and Ryan. Also surviving is his brother Tom (Phyllis) Lelli. One son, Ross, and a sister, Jeanne Retallick, preceded him. Phil Lelli was a dominant figure on the Tacoma waterfront from the moment he lifted his first 180-pound sack of wheat in 1949 until he retired as a gearman in 1993. He was a born longshoreman: a practical physicist who could come up with the most effective method of moving any size or weight of cargo; a leader of men in times of great technological change; and a stalwart ally who won hundreds of friends in ports all over the world.His mentor was T. A. Â"TinyÂ" Thronson, a veteran of the Great Strike of 1934. ThronsonÂ's advice, Â"Do a hard dayÂ's work and youÂ'll get rewarded with more opportunity,Â" was PhilÂ's guiding principle as President of Tacoma Longshore Union 23 from 1966 until 1983. He never abandoned his belief that port-union cooperation would result in a Golden Age. He teamed with Port Executive Director E. L. Roy Perry, Union Business Agent George Ginnis, and Port Commissioner Robert Earley to raise Tacoma from a backwater log port to become the fifth-largest container port in North America. During his 55 years on the waterfront, Phil served as Port of Tacoma commissioner, Propeller Club president, Tacoma Longshore pension club president, and University of Washington Harry Bridges History Chair trustee. The Propeller Club awarded Philip its highest honor, Master Mariner, in 1982. The Harry Bridges Chair designated him its Distinguished Supporter in 2003. After Phil and JoanneÂ's youngest son died in a waterfront accident in 1989, the Propeller Club created the Ross E. Lelli Memorial ScholarshipFund. Phil Lelli learned the meaning of community service from his father, Martin, who taught his son to care for other people, especially the poor. In the 1980s Phil and Father William Bischel S.J. organized the Hospitality Kitchen to serve hot lunches to the Tacoma homeless. Phil rescued a stove from the old Knights of Pythias Temple. Longshore workers trucked the stove to the Kitchen, took out a wall, installed the stove, and rebuilt the wall. The longshore union continues its support of the Kitchen, which serves 450 meals a day. Visitation will be from 8 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. Saturday, May 1, (International Workers Day), followed by the Funeral Mass at 10:00 a.m. at St. Andrews Catholic Church, 1401 Valley Ave., Sumner. Rosary services will be at 7 p.m. Friday at St. Martin of Tours Church 2303-54th Avenue East, Fife. Graveside services will be at Gethsemane Cemetery, 37600 Pacific Highway, at noon May 1. The Longshore Union will honor brother Phil with an open house from 1 to 4 p.m. There is an online guest book at www.mountainviewtacoma.com Arrangements are by Mountain View Funeral Home, 253-564-0252. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in the name of Philip Lelli to the Ross E. Lelli Memorial Scholarship, PO Box 453, Tacoma, WA 98401, or the Hospitality Kitchen, 1323 S. Yakima Ave., Tacoma, WA 98405.
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