Obituary of Philip Holtschult

Philip “Phil” Paul Holtschult, 80, of Hillsboro Oregon, passed away at his home on Sunday June 12th, 2022. Phil was born on February 12, 1942 to William “Bud” Holtschult and Elizabeth “Helen” Holtschult (nee Hyde) in Lafayette, Indiana. Phil’s family moved to Kewanee, Illinois while he was still young and he spent the majority of his youth there. He graduated from Kewanee High School in the class of 1960. After graduation, Phil joined the United States Navy in 1960 where he served as a corpsman. He completed his basic training in Great Lakes before being stationed in Norfolk, Virginia. Later that same year, Phil met his future wife, Joann Fritzius. They married in 1962 and have a son; William Fritzius Holtschult, and a daughter; Christyne Jo Schaefges (nee Holtschult). Phil and Joann divorced after a number of years, but they stayed friends and maintained an amicable relationship until the very end. After fulfilling his enlistment with the Navy, Phil became interested in the restaurant business. He and his family lived in a few cities before settling in Denver, Colorado. Phil took a position with Coulter Enterprises and he served them for more than 30 years before taking his official retirement in 1997. Phil settled in Oregon after his retirement and remained there for the last 25 years of his life. Phil has four grandchildren: granddaughters Rachel and Amanda, and grandsons Gabriel and Zachary. Phil loved his grandchildren deeply and took great pride and joy in them. He would take trips to Chicago just so that he could see his granddaughter’s dance recitals and performances. He would praise their accomplishments and it always put a smile on his face when he did so. He would watch his grandson while he played sports and never missed a chance to hang out on the sidelines. Riding his Harley Davidson was one of the pastimes that Phil took pleasure in and he took full advantage of the days when the sun was shining. There was only one thing he enjoyed more than riding his motorcycle and that was scuba diving. Phil had excellent taste in, and a vast knowledge of wine. He enjoyed fine dining, but also really appreciated a good home cooked meal. Phil was preceded in death by his parents, Bud and Helen, and his younger brother William. He is survived by his sister Patricia “Pat” Klein (sp. John), nieces Debbie, Karen, and Kathy, nephew Tom, his son William Holtschult, his daughter Christyne Schaefges (sp. James), and his four grandchildren Rachel, Amanda, Gabriel, and Zachary.