Daniel Alvord Phillips quietly exited stage right on Dec 21, 2021, ending a lifetime of passion, courage and conviction. He leaves a celebrated legacy of artistic innovation, community service, and educational mentorship, as well as a collection of uplifting personal relationships of every type. Dr. Phillips (or "Dr. Dan" as he was affectionately called) lived his life to its fullest. He was a dancer, an intelligence operative, a professor, a woodworker. He created Brainsqueeze, a word puzzle that grew into a national syndicate, and sought out prime rib and cabernet whenever possible. He was a builder, an artist, a leader, a visionary. And, perhaps most important to him, he was a devoted family man. He is survived by his wife, Marsha, and two children, who will cherish his memory like so many others in Huntsville, Tx and around the world.

Dan was born in Denver, CO on June 4, 1945, the youngest of three siblings, to George and Phoebe Phillips. He was tenacious from an early age, with such assorted feathers in his cap as Eagle Scout, Colorado state 14-and under bull-riding champion ("dumbest thing I've ever done, riding bulls"), and building his own bike out of parts from the landfill. As a young man, he spent time hiking the Rockies as part of the trail crew for the US Forest Service and spent a summer as a "Carnie" with his older brother John. A staunch believer in the power and gift of education, he earned a BA in English from Northern Colorado Univ, a MA in Physical Education from Sam Houston State University, and an EdD in Dance from Univ of NC in Greensboro. He served in the U.S. Army during Vietnam, as an intelligence specialist translating East German communications.

Dan met Marsha, his wife of 52 years, at SHSU when they were students in the dance department. After two years stationed in West Berlin, he and Marsha returned to Huntsville where he joined the faculty at SHSU and they settled down to raise their family. After 10 years of teaching full time, he made a characteristically unpredictable pivot into private business, restoring antiques and art at The Phoenix Workshop. His gift for breathing new life into forgotten treasures segued into the Phoenix Commotion - the capstone initiative that he started in 1998 with Marsha and to which he devoted the remainder of his life.

Through the Phoenix Commotion, he used recycled and salvaged materials to build affordable housing for artists and low-income families, diverting massive amounts of building materials that would have otherwise been headed to the landfill ("I always thought that you could build a house out of what you could find at a landfill," he liked to say). Dan devoted almost 25 years to the Phoenix Commotion, creating more than 20 houses in Huntsville, and selflessly giving his time and energy to build bridges in the community, to tackle some of our most pressing planetary issues and to help people. The Phoenix Commotion garnered international attention, showcasing the whimsical, creative designs of houses built from "someone else's trash." Dan's mesmerizing spirit captivated audiences as he shared his model in architectural venues around the world. He had an uncanny ability to articulate the philosophical underpinnings of design, as it relates to the human experience, which he shared via Ted talks, HGTV, People magazine, and many more prominent media outlets. Beyond their true artistry, each house lifted those left behind into home ownership, and trained unskilled crewmembers with practical vocational experience. Through the Phoenix Commotion, Dan also served as artistic director for marquee projects like Smither Park in Houston, Tx and Analemma Dilemma at the SHSU Lowman Student Center.

Despite Dan's remarkable achievements, he is perhaps most revered for the lasting impact he made on so many lives around him. As a husband and father, he selflessly gave the best of who he was to guide, protect, nurture and love deeply. As a teacher and mentor, he inspired minds with his gripping command of language and complex concepts, yet did so without pretention and grounded in humility. As a friend, his zeal for life, contagious optimism, light-hearted tom foolery and impeccable integrity made every situation more enjoyable and meaningful. A true renaissance man - self-actualized, altruistic, curious, whimsical, intrepid, grateful, honest, patient and genuine. He will be missed.

Dan is preceded in death by: his father and mother, George Orr Phillips and Phoebe Gould Phillips; his older brother, John Phillips; and his sister, Alice Phillips Roy Halkyard (Bill). He is survived by: his loving wife, Marsha Jones Phillips; his son, Ian Phillips (children Luke and Mason); his daughter, Phoebe Phillips Bower (with her husband Al and children, Reese and Shephard); his nephews, Dan (Lori) Roy and Richard Phillips, and his nieces, Kristi Roy Temple and Karen Valdez.

A memorial service is being planned for mid-January. Details will be made available at www.phoenixcommotion.com.