(03/14/41 - 06/30/22)

Dr. Daniel “Dan” Franklin Phillips, 81, of Pensacola, FL passed away peacefully, with his oldest son by his side, on Thursday, June 30, 2022.

Dan was born on March 14, 1941, in Chillicothe, OH to John Scott and Eloise Martin Phillips. After graduating from Chillicothe High School in 1959, Dan went on to Princeton University, where he majored in Philosophy and was a double varsity athlete in football and track and field. After graduating in 1963, Dan attended Yale Medical School. Before receiving his M.D. in 1967, with a government grant in hand, he conducted research on the history of the treatment of aneurisms for his dissertation at the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin, Ireland. Upon completing medical school, Dan began his journey as a physician at the Cleveland Clinic, where he completed all his training followed by his appointment to the staff of the Clinic’s Cardiology Department, and the rest is history. 

Dan was a visionary in the field of Interventional Cardiology and was among those responsible for revolutionizing the way heart disease was treated. Dan and his peers changed the world when he became the first to perform an angioplasty at the Cleveland Clinic in December of 1980. Dan was appointed as the Director of Interventional Cardiology at the Clinic in 1982, and by the end of that year, he and his partner had performed 155 angioplasties. By 1983 they had done over 500 percutaneous angioplasties, forever changing the landscape of how cardiology was practiced around the world.

During his time at the Cleveland Clinic, Dan treated thousands of patients including celebrities and royalty from all corners of the globe. He traveled the country (visiting all 50 states along the way), and around the world, where he shared his knowledge with physicians everywhere so they could learn the techniques and procedures he was advancing. In 1983, he relocated to Pensacola, FL where he joined the staff at West Florida Regional Medical Center and would eventually become a partner of the Northwest Florida Heart Group. Immediately, he embraced the people of Northwest Florida, knowing he had found home.

Beloved by not only his patients, but all those he worked with, Dan was the model of what all physicians hope to become. Saving countless lives and touching so many more, his bedside manner was second to none, and he treated all those around him with love and compassion.

One thing you would never find Dan doing (unless he was taking one of his trademark weekend naps), is sitting still. Though his interests and hobbies are too many to count, Dan was ambidextrous, could play the guitar, tried his hand at woodworking and stained glass, and enjoyed photography. His talent as a doctor was rivaled only by his creativity, which he would have certainly attributed to his success as a physician. A gifted artist, he could bring a smile to the face of any child with nothing more than a pencil and piece of paper. In particular, he was known for his goofy animal caricatures and amazing bedroom murals that were reflections of his sense of humor and personality.

After retiring, Dan focused on the things he loved the most: his family and gardening. When he was not at the hospital, he would likely have been found in his garden, maintaining his flower beds, building a path, or simply enjoying the beauty of the world around him.

If Dan had a favorite place outside of Pensacola, it was without a doubt Big Sky, Montana, and the surrounding area. Making a yearly pilgrimage there with his family, Montana was where he was most at peace. Whether you would find him skiing with his children, exploring Yellowstone Park or The Tetons, or simply enjoying the cherry pie from Buck’s T-4 (don’t think he ever got over them taking it off the menu), Montana is where Dan taught his family to share in his wonder and joy of the natural world and its mysteries. In fact, he has chosen Big Sky as his final resting place, where his ashes will be spread in order that he may always feel the sun shining through the pine trees and the awesome power of Yellowstone Park. Remembered for the twinkle in his eye and amazing sense of humor, Dan leaves behind a truly historic legacy.

Dan is preceded in death by his parents, John and Eloise Phillips; his brothers, Mike Phillips, of Atlanta, GA, and John Phillips of Scranton, PA.

He is survived by his wife, Camille, mother of his sons, William Phillips of Washington, D.C. and Bradley Phillips and his wife Sarah Clayton Phillips of New Orleans, LA, former wife Margery Moses Phillips, mother of his son, Daniel “Chip” Phillips, Jr. of Madison, CT and daughter, Elizabeth “Betsy” Phillips Kohl of Hanover, NH, sister Valerie Phillips Altoff, of Columbus, OH, and brother Thomas Phillips. Dan has nine grandchildren, Kathryn, Sarah, Megan, Margaret, Bridget, Erin, Rachel, Lucille, and Thomas.

Visitation will be held 4:00pm until a Memorial Service to begin at 5:00pm Thursday, July 14, 2022, at Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel, Pensacola, FL. Immediately following, a reception in celebration of his life will be held at 5eleven, at 511 S. Palafox St., Pensacola, FL 32502. As he was always in his New Balance tennis shoes, or Teva sandals (with the socks pulled up of course) we ask that you put on your favorite, most comfortable pair of footwear in his honor as you commemorate him with us.

In lieu of flowers or gifts, please make a donation to the American Heart Association or perform an act of kindness in his name. We look forward to you joining us in celebrating this great man’s life and achievements.