Phillip Henry Small, born Sept. 5, 1940, in Sheridan, Wyoming, passed away peacefully on Sept. 9, 2024, at the age of 84. He was the beloved son of Edwin Small and Alice Schaal, and brother to Edward Small and the late Marilyn (Small) Ragan.
Phil grew up in Sheridan and graduated from Sheridan High School in 1958. Since his father, sister and brother were all pharmacists, he thought everyone went to pharmacy school after graduating high school, so he enrolled at the University of Wyoming and got his pharmacy degree in 1962. He then went to work at the family-owned drug store in Sheridan. Although he chose the profession because he felt it was what he was supposed to do, Phil went on to dedicate 50 years to the field, retiring in 2012. His career was defined by his commitment to serving his community with care and professionalism.
On Oct. 26, 1963, Phil married the love of his life, Constance Jean Small, with whom he shared over five decades of love and companionship. In 1965, their son, Dennis Allan Small, was born in Sheridan. Dennis also attended and graduated from the University of Wyoming but, bucking the pharmacy trend, he earned a degree in wildlife biology. Dennis is a fisherman in Alaska in the summer, but lives and works in Laramie, Wyoming, a town and state he loves.
After selling the family drug store in 1968, Phil started working for Payless NW and relocated to Klamath Falls, Oregon, where their second child, daughter Jennifer Rae (Small) Fisher, was born in 1969. Jennifer married Thomas Fisher, who she met in Chico, Californian, in 1991. They have three children and also live in the Chehalis area so they could always be near to their grandparents.
Phil and family moved several times while working with Payless Drugstore. They lived in Walla Walla, Washington, Corvalis, Oregon, and Chico, California. Their sincere kindness, good humor and caring personalities led them to develop many great lasting friendships wherever they called home. In 1991, Phil left Payless/Rite-Aid to go to work for Safeway until retiring in 2012.
In 1987, Phil and Connie moved to Chehalis, Washington, where they continued being active and engaged members of the community. Phil was a member of Twin Cities Rotary, Elks, Masonic Lodge No. 8, Tacoma Scottish Rite and Affi Shriners. He served on the board of Providence Centralia Hospital and was president of Chehalis Rotary. He was particularly proud of his involvement with the Chehalis Rotary Club, where he formed lasting friendships and worked to make a difference in the lives of others.
Phil’s greatest pride was his family, including his three grandchildren, Lauren, Cole and Riley Fisher, who brought him immense joy. He was always a fixture at their sporting events, school functions and all things a proud Papa would be. He will be remembered for his quiet strength, deep compassion and unwavering dedication to those he loved.
A celebration of Phil’s life will be held to honor his legacy, with details to follow. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made to the Chehalis Rotary Club, an organization close to Phil's heart.
A celebration of life will be held at 10 a.m. Oct. 21 at St John's Lutheran Church.
