Andrew "Andy" George Phillips

  Andrew George Phillips passed this life on June 9, 2023 at Good Shepard Somers Hospice House in Sebring, Florida.

   Born January 25, 1949, to Robert George and Judie Webster Owst-Atkinson Phillips in Adelaide, South Australia. Because his father was career military, his younger years included living and being educated all over Australia. He married Patricia Tanquary Kuchefski, April 13, 2002 in Danville, IL.

   A veteran of the Australian Army, he served at Vung Tau, South Vietnam (1970-71), where he volunteered as a disc jockey for the Australian Armed Forces and taught English to Vietnamese children.

   He was admitted to practice law as a Barrister and Solicitor in 1980 and practiced in the Australian states of New South Wales, Victoria a well as the High Court. After disenchantment with the system, he worked as a merchant banker; marketing manager and legal executive for the AMP Society in Australia and New Zealand; and was chairman of the APEX Foundation board; which led to the love employment of his life as executive director of APEX, an Australian community service organization whose aim is to improve the quality of life for everyone living in Australian communities from 1992-2002. He was named in Who’s Who in Australasia and the Far East in 1989 and Who’s Who in Public Life Australia in 1997.

   He served on the board of Voluntary Service to Indigenous Communities Foundation, a program to send trades educators to indigenous territory to train residents in their own communities.

   After moving to the USA in 2002, he became a U.S. citizen in 2006. He worked as executive director of Habitat for Humanity, Danville, IL; site coordinator and assistant director for Retired & Senior Volunteer Program, RSVP, Champaign, IL. Becoming semi-retired he hosted at O’Leary’s Pub; worked the café for County Market North, after receiving his barista certificate; and in produce at Meijer’s.

   Illinois recognitions include Downtown Danville Volunteer of the Year, 2002; Worshipful Master Further Light Masonic Lodge 1130, Regional Representative Masonic Services Association of North America working through the Illiana Veterans Affairs Healthcare System where he rekindled the program to get veterans to church services and wrote grants for the recreation department. He achieved 32nd degree status.

   With Sunrise Rotary Danville, he served as president and received the district Rotary Difference Maker award. He served Peer Court as a volunteer judge (2010-2019 and was a board member; Vermilion Heritage Foundation board member and Arts in the Park trash picker-upper volunteer extraordinaire.

   Andrew is survived by his wife Pat of Sebring, FL; daughters Georgia of Canberra and Julia of Adelaide, Australia; stepsons Eric Kuchefski (Kelly Osterbur) of Urbana, IL; Alan Kuchefski and grandchildren Loralei Marie and Hayden Michael Kuchefski of Bloomington, IL.

   A graveside service is set for 2 p.m. Friday, July 21, at Resurrection Cemetery in Danville, IL. Plans for a gathering in Albury, South Australia are incomplete at this time.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Andrew "Andy" George Phillips, please visit our floral store.