Obituary Page

July 30, 2010

Alan R. ‘Bluesman’ Philo

July 24, 2010

Alan R. “Bluesman” Philo, 63, of Wyoming, passed away peacefully on Saturday evening, July 24, 2010, at the Wilkes-Barre General Hospital after a courageous battle with cancer.

Born on December 17, 1946, in Kingston, Alan was a son of the late Marvel L. and Alice (Oatridge) Philo.

Prior to his retirement in 2001, Al was employed for 30 years by the Phoenixville Area School District as a music teacher and elementary band director for the Schuylkill Elementary School.

Although he played many instruments, Al was an extraordinary guitar player and found great enjoyment in playing the guitar and singing along with his friends Lori, Eryn, Bill, Topper and Mike.

Al had a passion for motorcycles and always enjoyed being out on the open road. For many years, Al was a member of the Harley Owners Group.

A longtime activist of the POW-MIA issue, Al helped to remind people that many of our soldiers have not yet come home from war through his membership in Rolling Thunder and The Friends of the Forgotten (original chapter and Northeast Wing). The ever-present American Flag and Prisoner of War Flag that flew at his home and the places he went were constant reminders of his patriotism to our country.

Al served as the assistant coordinator for the Northeast Pennsylvania Region of the Warriors’ Watch Riders, a motorcycle organization that dedicates itself to honoring our troops, both living and deceased. Al was a big supporter of our troops and, through his membership in the Warriors’ Watch Riders, he welcomed our troops home with flag lines and escorts and also sent them off to their duty stations in the same way.

Al will forever be remembered for his calming, quiet, caring, stoic and vigilant demeanor. He will be greatly missed by all those whose lives he touched throughout his lifetime. Al will never be replaced.

Al is survived by an aunt; many cousins; his longtime friend and “brother,” Michael Jack, and his family; his many, many friends; and his faithful bulldog, Snort.

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend the funeral which will be conducted at 11 a.m. Monday at the Wroblewski Funeral Home Inc., 1442 Wyoming Ave., Forty Fort, with Pastor Paul Metzloff, pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Kingston, officiating. Interment will follow in Mount Greenwood Cemetery, Trucksville. Family and friends are invited to call on Monday from 9 to 11 a.m. at the funeral home.

For additional information, or to send the family of Mr. Alan R. Philo an online message of condolence, you may visit the funeral home website www.wroblewskifuneralhome.com.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Alan’s memory to the Al Philo Memorial Scholarship Fund, C/O Warren Frederick, Eight Pancoast Boulevard, Delran, NJ 08075, or to the National Alliance of Families, c/o Ms. Lynn O’Shea, P.O. Box 40327, Bellevue, WA 98015.

Tweet	Follow @TLnews