Phil Bartlett had life-long friends from every place he lived, as evidenced by these last weeks of his life. He had that rare gift of gab and was always the funniest person in the room. Everyone loved spending time with him.

Phil grew up in Vernon,- Texas in the 50s and 60s, and had a pretty idyllic childhood. He rode his bike all over town, and later drove his bright yellow Volkswagen "Thing" until it was time to come home for dinner. Phil was the drummer in a band, The Uncalled Four, which practiced in his family's garage and played at local dances. The band got their big break when they opened for Sonny and Cher at the Plaza Theater in Vernon. The night was topped off with a "Twist" contest up on the stage.

At Southwestern University, he found his new posse at the KA House. Phil came up with a prank to take their pledge trainers up to Vernon and drop them outside of town in a wheat field with a dime in their pockets. They pulled it off and headed back to Georgetown the next morning. Phil stayed close friends with many of the KAs and later helped start a travel club. Every year in the spring, Southwestern KAs from different classes go somewhere in Texas for a long weekend and pick up where they left off. We're told Phil held court with his wit and stories every year.

When Phil transferred to UT, his sister was a freshman. He had spent many weekends in Austin so he knew all the joints. Phil took Suzy to places like Soap Creek Salon and the Broken Spoke to hear up and coming singers like Willie Nelson. It was the first time they were adults together out in the world. In return, Suzy got him through his dreaded math class.

In 1986, Phil met Stacey Stone at Lake Kemp. They fell in love and married in his parent's big beautiful backyard where he grew up. Phil and Stacey had Alex (Scooty) in 1996, and Ben (Beef) in 1997. His family was his pride and joy and he was a great father. Many years were spent out on Lake Kemp, with Stacey and Phil teaching the boys to swim, ski and appreciate the beauty of friendships, nature, and the love of animals.

The family loved spending time in Port Aransas so much that in 2012 they decided to move there. Ben and Alex spent their high school years in PA, enjoying the coastal life along with Stacey and Phil. This is where they made their latest set of lifelong friends. The outpouring from this community has been astounding, to say the least.

Phil was always giving nicknames to friends and pets, and he had a few given to him. In the KA house he was known as "Philthy Phil" apparently for his lack of house keeping skills. And later in Vernon, after taking his friends on a harrowing ride in his new truck on a rainy night, his good friend Dennis dubbed him "Thrill Phil." That one stuck.

Stacey and Phil spent 38 years together, making friends, being involved in their communities (Vernon, Flower Mound and Port Aransas), raising their sons and loving and supporting each other.

A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, March 22, 2025, at 2:00 pm at Hillcrest Country Club. Everyone is invited to attend.

If you would like to make a donation in Phil's memory, please consider PortAransasConservancyFund.org