Remembering Phil Kendall
by Jann Placentia
I remember:
I accompanied Phil many times after school in the spring of our senior year in high school, when he’d play a few holes of golf. One time, he hit a great shot that we knew had landed close to the green. We both searched and searched around the green but could not find the ball. At last, we gave up and looked in the cup --- and there it was, a Hole in One!
Phil would often call me late at night, filled with excitement, (I had my own personal phone line, so didn’t have to worry about disturbing the household) and read me his latest wonderful metaphor or poem.
Phil loved “Night Gallery “, “The Twilight Zone” and “A Clockwork Orange” – some of his stories reflected that fascination with sort of a “film noir/sci fi” essence.
Phil had a cool green Mustang for which someone he knew offered to trade him a cute, little, bright red Austin Healy Sprite. We had such fun zipping around in that Sprite, wearing our matching white racing hats --- I know it might sound silly or ridiculous from the vantage point of maturity, but the sight of us in those matching hats was amusing!
My brother, Chris, decided to enter a “Smoker” at his jr high and asked Phil to be his coach --- what an ironic thing: Phil was not a fighter, (neither was my brother) he was the guy everyone liked.
Phil was a wonderful person….I’m so blessed to have known him so well…..I miss him.
