Phillip Edward Egdorf

Phillip Edward Egdorf, 87 of Abilene, passed away on Sunday, December 4, 2022.  A visitation will be held on Thursday, December 8, 2022, from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Piersall Funeral Directors, 733 Butternut Street.  A graveside service will be on Friday, December 9 ^th at 1:00 p.m. at the West End Cemetery in Stephenville, Texas.

Phillip was born on September 3, 1935, in Jacksonville, Illinois to McDonald Frederick and Julia Sarah Egdorf.  In 1958, Phil left his home in New York and moved south to Ft. Benning, Georgia.  While completing O.C.S., he met a young Auburn student named Patricia Walter.  It was love at first sight and that love lasted 62 years.  They married in June 1960, and he became an avid Auburn fan.  If you ever heard his phone ring, you heard the Auburn fight song!  His loving wife, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are the joy of his life, whether coaching YMCA football, screaming at umpires at basketball games, packing up drinks for the tennis tournaments or driving a preteen girls gymnastics team all over Alabama for meets.

He completed his M.B.A. at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and his Ph.D. at the University of Alabama.  He found his passion in teaching, first at Birmingham Southern University, then at Tarleton State University in Stephenville in 1980.  Eight years later, the family made their final move to Abilene where Phil accepted the position of Department Head of Business at McMurry College, and later became the Dean of the School of Business at McMurry University.  He loved teaching, loved McMurry, and cared immensely about his students.

He was generous, funny, tender hearted and blessed with a good German temper (mostly directed at himself or a few politician).  He loved golf, but in the wisdom of Benny Turney, “what goes on at the golf course, stays at the golf course.”

He was a man with a deep belief in God and devoted to his family and friends.  We will miss him dearly.

Phillip was preceded in death by his parents, McDonald and Julia Egdorf.  He is survived by his wife Patricia Egdorf of Abilene; son Phillip Egdorf and wife Jennifer of Granbury; daughters Terri Cranford of Abilene, Amy Young and husband Othel of Stephenville and Emely Lopez and husband Lee of Loveland, Ohio; brothers Jon Egdorf and wife Karen of Plant City, Florida and Roger Egdorf and wife Candy of Conroe; grandchildren Stasha (Justin), Justin (Rebecca), Elizabeth, Brieanne (Matt), Meghan (Thomas), Nicholas (Maranda), Abigail (Jimmy), Shaelyn (Ross), Victoria (Jeff), Colby and Blake; plus 18 great-grandchildren.

Please consider making a donation in Phil’s name to the Patricia Egdorf Nursing Endowed Scholarship, Tarleton State University, Box T-0415, Stephenville, TX, 76402.

Condolences may be offered to the family online at www.pbfuneraldirectors.com.