By Wally Pearce, Winters Elder Day Council
Special to the Express
Phil Snow was born on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 1931, in San Jose, Calif. He grew up with one sister and two brothers.
After WW2, Phil’s dad became the principal of Calistoga Highschool in Calistoga. Growing up in Calistoga, Phil recalls playing/fishing for steelheads in the Napa River creek. Along with some neighborhood yard work, at nine years old, Phil also worked in the local prune orchards. Phil also worked on a chicken ranch where the many chicken houses contained 1,000 chickens per building — Phil said he quit that job.
Phil’s dad later became the principal of Winters High School when Phil was a sophomore. When Phil started school in Winters, he began playing tennis and developed into a very good tennis player beating most of his rivals. Being ambidextrous helped Phil excel in high school sports activities, especially basketball. Although Phil is a competent writer with both hands. He chose to be left-handed.
When Phil was 14 years old he learned how to drive in his dad’s two-seater Ford. Phil’s first car was a 1951 Ford. When Phil graduated from WHS in 1949, his graduating class consisted of 32 students.
After high-school Phil lived in Winters working in construction and became an excellent builder/carpenter, even building the large white City of Winters Rotary Park Gazebo. He said some of the most difficult time of his life was during his construction career because sometimes jobs were scarce.
While in the military and stationed in Guam, Phil began to read the Bible and believed in what he read — and that got him involved in the Church. Phil said one of the best parts of his life is when he became a Christian and accepted Christ as his personal savior.
Phil and his wife Isabelle were married in 1950 and were together for 67 years until her passing. Phil has four children, nine grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild. Phil considers having children to be the happiest and most enjoyable time of his life.
See all 14 2022 Elder Day honorees at https://tinyurl.com/8kx9fc4z.
