Quechee, Vt. —
He was born Aug. 3, 1932, at home in Chicago, Ill. a son of Andrew and Honora (O’Donnell) Philbin. Dick attended seminary in high school before graduating from DePaul Academy in Chicago and later earned his Bachelor’s degree from DePaul University. He then served in Germany with the Army during the Korean War. While in Germany he met Virginia Hayes who was traveling with his sister, Catherine. After his honorable discharge from the military, Dick and Ginny were married in Chicago on Oct. 19, 1957. Dick later attended Loyola University and Southern Methodist University.
The Philbin’s made their home in Chicago and Dick began his career with American Hospital Supply. The company moved them to Dallas, where they began their family, and later to Long Island where they lived in Glen Head and then to New Jersey where they lived in Short Hills for several years prior to moving to Quechee full time in 1974 and have lived here since. After retiring from American Hospital Supply, Dick worked locally at Dartmouth Outdoor Sports and then The Computer Connection before retiring permanently.
Dick had a great sense of humor and loved people, especially helping others. He expressed his desire to help through volunteering. He was a hospice volunteer with Bayada Hospice and was very active at St. Anthony’s Church as a lector, served on parish council, as a Eucharistic Minister, serving communion at the VA and DHMC, and met with many couples in the pre-marriage program, Engaged Encounter, Marriage Encounter and was a member of the Knights of Columbus while in Dallas. Dick was a talented photographer and enjoyed gardening.
He was predeceased by a daughter, Julie Preston and a brother, William Philbin.
He leaves his wife of nearly 60 years, Ginny, of Quechee; his children, Chrysa Mahoney and her husband, Dan of Chapel Hill, N.C., Dan Philbin and his wife, Patrice of Arlington Heights, Ill. and Peter Philbin and his wife, Rachael of Chicago, Ill.; grandchildren, Tiffany Creamer and her husband, Patrick, Kaitlyn and Patrick Lepine, Mary and Daniel Mahoney, Clare, Connor, Fiona and Joseph Richard Philbin; three great-grandchildren; a sister, Catherine Grzesik and her husband Henry of Flint, Mich.; as well as many nieces and nephews.
The Philbin family is grateful for the wonderful care they received from Bayada Hospice, especially Jeanette, Jessie and Amy.
Visitation will be held Sunday, Dec. 4from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Knight Funeral Home in White River Jct. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Monday, Dec. 5at 10:30 a.m. at St. Anthony’s Church in White River Jct. Burial will be held in the All Saints Cemetery in Des Plaines, IL at a later date.
Condolences to Dick’s family may be made in an online guestbook at www.knightfuneralhomes.com.