Vale Ken Phillips
Mandurah Masters Swimming farewells and pays tribute to our long serving member and friend Ken Phillips who passed away peacefully with family, on Monday evening.
Ken was awarded “Life Membership” to the Swimming Club as a result of his outstanding service and work for the club.
We will remember him for his brilliant sense of fun, his strong moral compass, his enduring support of all, and his willingness to share a top drop!
Thanks for the wonderful memories Ken…you will always be remembered and never replaced.
~ Condolence Messages ~
We will always remember your sense of fun, your great loyalty and your terrific leadership for this club. A strong friend who has made our lives richer through this friendship. Love you Ken. Jen and Steve
Our love and sympathy to Gerda and family. I have such happy and fond memories of Ken, his advice, encouragement, and sense of humour was always greatly welcomed. Craig and I had the good fortune to sit by Ken and Gerda at the Quinndanning pub recently and even though his illness was obvious, his wicked sense of humour shone through and had us laughing. I'll treasure the cheeky message he left on my school shirt. RIP Ken, you'll be so sadly missed. Erica and Craig
We were so sad to hear of Ken's passing, he was a good friend and supporter of our club. Ken went out of his way to attend one of our training sessions to offer technical advice and encouragement to those taking up the challenge of their first swim meet, and made himself available at any time to further assist any of our swimmers who needed it. He was a gentleman and a great bloke. Our condolences to Gerda and family. Rockingham Masters Swimming Club
Such a lovely man; I’ll miss Ken. Sympathy and condolences to the family, on your loss. Simon Lyons
Deepest sympathy to Gerda & family. Ken was my first contact when joining Mandurah Mannas. I so admired his achievements & determination when it came to swimming & club activities. Tess
I heard the news of Ken Phillips’s death this morning through one of the officials. The news came as a shock to me as whenever I asked him how he was he brushed it off and said he was ok. I am a member of the officials team and worked closely with Ken for several years. I always looked up to him as a senior member of the team, a valued mentor and role model. He was always very particular about the way he went about being an official and I presume he was the same with everything he did. He was precise and made sure he studied the rules and regulations so when he spoke he knew what he was talking about. I will always remember Ken with fondness and will miss seeing him around the pool deck. I wonder if there is swimming in heaven. I will visualise him swimming among the clouds. Pamela Walter
We at Perth City are so sorry to hear the very sad news that Ken Phillips has passed away. Please pass on our condolences to Mandurah Masters.
We are thinking of you all today. Perth City Swim Club
I am honored to count Ken Phillips as a great friend and swimming buddy. We have shared some wonderful times and also enjoyed drinking some very fine red wines together. Perhaps one of our most memorable swims was when Ken and I together with Deb, Sue and John completed a relay swim of the English Channel in 2012. Ken has been very large in all things swimming, and undertaken many leadership roles to the benefit of our Club and Masters Swimming. Sue and I extend our deepest sympathy to Ken’s dear wife Gerda. I will miss my friend and swimming companion, Ken. Ray Reynolds
Condolences to Ken's Family. A Great man has passed. Ken is dearly loved by his swimming family. May your soul rest in peace. You fought so hard and never surrendered. I will always remember your courage and generosity that you displayed to us all . Neil Aitken
Thank you dear Ken for welcoming us to Mandurah Mannas. We enjoyed your friendship, wit and wisdom. We are also grateful for all the time, and knowledge, you so generously shared about the sport you loved. You set a great example for us all and will be sorely missed by so many people. Our deepest sympathy to Gerda and family. Ken's was a life well lived. Ann and Steve
Deepest sympathy & love. Jan & Lindsay Boddy
When they made the mould for a true gentleman, Ken's name was at the top of the list. Stickler for following the rules and expected everyone else to follow suit. Miss you Ken. Sue McDonald
To Gerda, her family and members of Mandurah Mannas. Please accept our sincere condolences on the tragic passing of one of Mandurah Mannas favourites. Ken was a loyal member of the club, and I enjoyed working with him when we were also a part of the team. He is thought of and will be missed. John and Anne Robijn
Ken Phillips, such a lovely man. You would have him on your team in a heartbeat-which we were so fortunate and grateful to have had on the Channel Swim.
Always positive, great company and a pleasure to talk to. Will be so missed and so remembered. All our love to Gerda and family. Sue and Keith Giles
Sending my deepest condolences to the friends and family of a lovely kind man. Ken was always such a friendly gentleman that always took time out to be helpful and caring. Such a very sad and hard time for many. RIP Ken love Wendy
It is with sadness that we hear of the passing of Ken. Ken was a man of principle, who's encouragement, enthusiasm and humour was recognised throughout the Masters Swimming family. He was a strong supporter of the club and a life member. His passing leaves a gap in the hearts of all who knew him.Thanks for the memories, Ken, you're going to be missed. Our deepest sympathy to Gerda and family. Des and Kay Seery
As a past member of the Club I wish to convey my heartfelt sympathy to you all and Ken's wife Gerda on the sad passing of Ken. I have many fond memories of Ken especially doing the Rottnest Relay 2001. Ken & I swam our hearts out together for that last kilometre. Ken, Gerry, Deb Bloor & myself were in the team. Ken was also an outstanding club president. Shelley Lane
I have always been so impressed by the commitment Ken made to our swimming club over the past many years and his influence has been a big factor in placing the club in the great position it is in now. Ken has been a ‘constant presence’ in my swimming life and will be greatly missed. I attended many open water swimming events in Perth and the southwest with Ken (and Gerda there supporting him), and his support and friendship was always appreciated. I feel very privileged to have been in the first Manna’s Rottnest Channel Relay Team in 2001 with Ken, Gerry and Shelley which was such a wonderful experience and of course the English Channel Swim Team in 2012. The fourteen months the team spent together training for that was a very special time in our lives and the strong bond developed will always be there. Gerda my thoughts are with you and family at this very sad time. Deborah
Thank you for your advice, encouragement and friendship. Always a happy positive person to be around. RIP Ken. Narelle and Trevor
RIP Ken. Such a gentle soul and valued member of Mandurah Masters and the wider swimming community. Jazmyn Tobin
RIP Ken. Such a valued member of the Mannas. Fondly remembered. Michelle Marinovich
Ken was such a valued member of the Mandurah Mannas and did so much for the sport. Our thoughts and condolences go to Gerda and family. I will always remember him as Captain Ken. Cassie Lindsay
Taken in the prime of his swimming life. An absolute loss to MSWA especially his loved Mandurah Mannas. An honour knowing and working with you Ken. My heartfelt condolences to dear Gerda and family. Judith Crawford
An honour to have known you Ken. You will be missed. Deepest sympathy to Gerda and family. Lyn McPhail
RIP Ken. You will will always be remembered as a great Mandurah Mannas Clubman and outstanding person. You were an inspiration in all that you did. Condolences to Gerda and family. Thoughts are with you always. Glenda and Wayne
Such an honour to have known Ken and be able to share some memorable times with him. Barb Pellick
So very sad to hear of the passing of Ken. Our condolences to Ken's wife Gerda and family. I knew Ken as a lovely man and he will have left many happy memories for us all to reflect on. RIP Ken. Kathy and Barry McLeod
Deepest sympathy to Gerda and family. From the first time I met Ken, he was encouraging and supportive in what I worked on within the world of swimming. Ken was a person heavily involved in volunteering his time, helping others, supporting and being involved with Masters Swimming at all levels. I found Ken to be an inspiring, colourful friend who will be sadly missed, but never forgotten. Wayne Cable
My very last time with Ken is an indication of the kind of person he has always been. He had just lost most of his vision. He asked me to take him shopping so that he could choose a birthday gift for his lovely wife, Gerda. As was so typical, he was very pleased to be able to do something for someone else and we both enjoyed a very special time together. Kirk Bamford
As a fellow Masters Swimming WA Referee, I had enormous respect and a great fondness for Ken. When he became qualified as a Ref, I was delighted, as he was such as asset to the team. He had just the right demeanour that commanded respect, yet he was friendly and ably used his interpersonal skills to defuse sometimes tense moments with swimmers who were less than happy with a decision that had been made. I was shocked to learn some time ago that he had cancer, and so very sad to hear that he lost his battle last week. I extend my sincere condolences to both his club members, and his family. A huge hole has been left in Masters Swimming WA. Au revior, Ken. Sue Pow Beatty Park Masters