Obituary of Phillip Allan Wilcoxen

Phillip Allan Wilcoxen – or Al, as he was known by friends and family – passed away peacefully at home on Sunday, April 16, 2023. The son of Eldon G. Willcoxen and Marjorie (Krider) Willcoxen, Al was born in Lewistown, Illinois, on December 10, 1947, the youngest of three children.

He attended Lewistown’s schools from 1952 to 1965, where he excelled at basketball in high school. After graduating high school, he was hired at the Caterpillar Company in Peoria, Illinois. His marriage to his high-school sweetheart, Marilyn Harris, was cut short when she became terminally ill.

Al was draftable at the height of the Vietnam War and opted to join the US Air Force. Upon finishing boot camp, he moved out to Denver, Colorado, where he was stationed at Lowry AFB for four years, from March 1967 to January 1971, when he was honorably discharged from service.

In 1969, he married Deanna E. Kline and welcomed a daughter, Jana Renée Wilcoxen. They were married until 1979.

After his time in the Air Force, he moved with his young family to Broomfield (CO) in 1973, where he lived in the same house for the rest of his life. He attended CU in Boulder, taking classes by day while working full-time by night to support his family. Storage Technology later hired him as a Maintenance Technician, which allowed him to focus on working to provide a comfortable life for his family. He worked at Storage Technology for 30 years until he was forced into early retirement due to the company’s reorganization.

In September 1980, he married Eileen E. (Ellis) Cyr. They met while working together in different departments at Storage Technology and were married for more than 42 years until his passing. They have one son, Ryan Allan Wilcoxen, born in 1982.

Al was a devoted father and loved spending time with Jana and Ryan when they were young. He supported their opportunities to learn and pursue their interests and passions. He loved playing games with them and taught them to read and think logically at a young age. He led by example and poured his energy into ensuring they were well provided for and set up for success.

Throughout his life, along with playing basketball and bowling, Al had many hobbies. In the 1980s, he enjoyed racing remote control cars on a dirt track in a competitive league, winning several trophies. One of his prized possessions was his “sublime green” 1970 Dodge Challenger 340 Six Pack. He bought the car brand new and then rebuilt it in 1980. He kept it until his 75th birthday on December 10, 2022. In addition to cars, he loved caring for the yard and gardens around his house. He was known for being able to fix anything, including renovating the entire basement and lower levels of his house in the last ten years.

Al loved animals, especially the dogs he brought into his care in the latter half of his life. Over the last 35 years, he and his family had six dogs, including three Red Bone Coonhounds. Al loved their howl and energy and spent countless hours with them at the dog park in Broomfield.

Al is preceded in death by his parents, his sister Patty, and his niece Karla. He is survived by his wife Eileen, daughter Jana (Gregor Sodec), granddaughter Uma, son Ryan (Kris Moore), his brother Joe (Judy), niece Kim, and nephew Kirk.

Al is being cremated, and there will be a Celebration of Life held in the Fireside Lounge of the Broomfield Community Center on Sunday, April 30, 2023, at 1:00 p.m.

Donations can be made to the PAN Foundation In Memory of Phillip Allan Wilcoxen

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