Earl Phillips, who spent his life in service to others as a Fanwood first responder, volunteer and Naval veteran, died early on Sunday, February 11, 2024. He was 102. He died at his long-time home on Poplar Place in Fanwood after a long illness.
Mr. Phillips’ legacy lives on across all of Fanwood’s first responder agencies. He was a founding member of the Fanwood Rescue Squad in 1948. At the time, he was a member of the Fanwood Volunteer Fire Department and a Fanwood police officer. He retired from the police department as a sergeant in 1981. He continued serving the town as a member of the Shade Tree Commission into his 90s.
Mr. Phillips served in World War II in the U.S. Navy in the European and Pacific theaters of the war. The majority of his service involved troop transport. He was among several other WWII vets honored during the town’s Memorial Day celebration in 2020.
In 2021, a contingent of Fanwood Police officers visited him to celebrate his 100th birthday. He turned 102 this past October.
