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Paul A. Phillips, 88, beloved father, grandfather, great-grandfather, retired attorney and civil libertarian, passed away peacefully on March 28, 2005, in Palo Alto, CA. Paul was born in Manhattan, NY on October 10, 1916 to Harold and Martha Phillips. He attended public school in New York City, then Princeton Preparatory School, and later graduated from Princeton University in 1938 with a degree in Classics. While at Princeton, he was a member of the varsity boxing team and the chess team. After college, he worked as a social worker in a settlement house before beginning night studies at Brooklyn Law School where he met his future wife, Casey. He married Estelle "Casey" Stengel on February 1, 1941. Shortly thereafter, he enlisted in the Army where he was a member of the OSS serving in Greece in aid of the resistance, and in Egypt. Following WWII, he attended Columbia Law School, where he was an editor of the Law Review. He earned his law degree from Columbia in 1947 and went on to earn a Masters Degree in Taxation from NYU Law School. After graduation Paul practiced law in Manhattan and worked on revisions to the federal tax laws which became part of the 1954 Code. He then taught at the University of Nebraska Law School before moving to Albuquerque, NM in 1957. For the next 35 years, Paul worked as an attorney with a varied and colorful practice in Albuquerque. He was a founding member of the New Mexico Chapter of the ACLU and was involved in numerous legal battles on behalf of civil liberties and civil rights. Over the years he received several awards recognizing his many good works. His honors included the UN Human Rights award (1966), an NAACP award, an award from the NM Trial Lawyers' Association, and most recently, an award for lifetime achievement from the NM chapter of the ACLU (2002). His courtroom achievements included invalidating the official seal of Bernalillo County which depicted an illuminated Latin cross and the words "Con Esta Vencemos," New Mexico State University's ban on the enrollment of the Iranian students, and Albuquerque's vagrancy ordinance, and overturning the firing of a college teacher for writing a letter critical of a legislator. At the time of his retirement in 1992, Bill Hume, then editorial page editor of the Albuquerque Journal, described Paul as "the lion of civil liberties for the last three plus decades in New Mexico" and remarked that lawyers like Paul "perpetuate all that is good about the profession." Outside of his legal work, Paul was a true Renaissance man, possessing a love of classical music, opera, history, literature, and current affairs. He enjoyed playing and watching tennis. He was an avid fight fan, and in partnership with the late Paul Chavez, promoted boxing in Albuquerque. Although few of his fight cards were remunerative, Paul was proud to judge most of them "artistic successes." Following his retirement in 1992, he lived in both Albuquerque and Sun City West, AZ, sharing his time with his wife Casey, his children, and his grandchildren. He enjoyed traveling the world, taking road trips, and debating the issues of the day with his many friends. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife. He is survived by his adoring family, including son, Benjamin Phillips and wife, Adrienne; daughter-in-law, Lynn Hathaway; daughter, Alice Zelkha and husband, Eli; daughter, Joyce Phillips and husband, Bill Syme; grandchildren, Meredith Phillips, Jonathan Phillips, Darius Zelkha, Jeremy Zelkha, Chloe Zelkha, Rachel Syme, and Noah Syme; and great-grandchildren, Isaac Zelkha, Avery Liu, and Evan Phillips. Words cannot express how extraordinary he was, and how much we will all miss him. A Memorial Service is planned at Congregation Albert, 3800 Louisiana NE on April 10, 2005 at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, a contribution can be made in his name to the New Mexico Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.
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