Former Haverhill City Solicitor Herbert P. Phillips, 83, of Gloucester and formerly of Haverhill, passed away Friday, Jan. 27, at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston.
He was born in Haverhill May 27, 1933, son of the late Joshua and Kathryn (Kosoff) Phillips.
Phillips practiced law for nearly 60 years in Haverhill, mostly at the law firm Phillips, Gerstein and Channen PC. He earned his undergraduate degree at Bowdoin College, his law degree at Boston University and his Masters in Taxation at New York University. He began his career as a clerk for Judge Opper of the U.S. Tax Court in Washington, D.C. He later served as Haverhill city solicitor and on the Hearings Committee of the Board of Bar Overseers.
He participated in many civic and religious institutions, including as a director at Camp Bauercrest, Amesbury, and as a Bowdoin class agent. Phillips was an avid runner, participating in over 20 marathons long before running became popular.
He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Margery (Kapelson) Phillips; children, Thomas J. Phillips and his wife, Sharon Gillis of Newton, Jane P. and her husband, John Davey of West Hartford, Conn., and Richard P. Phillips and his wife, Kimberly Rosvall of Bloomington, Ind.; five grandchildren, Alexandra and Andrew Phillips, Annabelle and Jillian Davey and Violet Phillips. He was also the father of the late Karen A. Phillips and brother of the late Lawrence I. Phillips.
His funeral service was Sunday at Temple Emanu-El, 514 Main St., Haverhill, with burial following in the Children of Israel Cemetery, Haverhill. At the family’s request, there was no memorial period. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, GI Cancer Research, Attention: Dr. Robert Mayer, 10 Brookline Place West, 6th Floor, Brookline, MA 02445-7226 or to the Wolf Medical Education Fund, c/o Dr. Marshall Wolf, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, 75 Francis St. Boston, MA 02115.
Arrangements were under the direction of H.L. Farmer and Sons Funeral Homes, Haverhill and Bradford.
herb was an asset to the city of Haverhill…we will miss him. R I P herb