Philip W. Coolidge

Phil W. Coolidge died December 3, 2017. Phil was born September 3, 1934 in Topeka to Raymond A. Coolidge and Frances Wood Coolidge. He graduated from Randolph, Boswell and Topeka High School. He was President of the Student Council at Topeka High. Phil graduated from Kansas University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Architecture. He was a member of Sachem Honorary Society. He married his lifelong love, Collette Peterman Coolidge in July of 1957. They moved to Quantico, Virginia for active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps. On completion of Officer Basic School he was assigned to the Second Pioneer Battalion, Second Marine Division at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and later attained the rank of Captain. Following active duty he returned to Topeka.

In 1960 Phil became a partner with his father Raymond A. Coolidge in their private practice of architecture. They worked together until Raymond retired in 1975. Notable projects by the father-son partnership are the Shawnee County Courthouse, reconstruction of Benton Hall at Washburn University following the 1966 tornado, the Educational Building and Cloister at Grace Episcopal Cathedral and the Washburn University School of Law. Phil continued the practice under the name Coolidge Architectural Services. He was the principal architect for the reconstruction of Grace Cathedral following the destructive fire in 1975. Coolidge Architectural Services also provided services for numerous projects for Mark Morris Associates and later, with Hills Pet Nutrition in the early development of Hills Science and Technology Center. At the Topeka Zoo, he worked with Gary Clarke to develop exhibit space north of the waterfowl lagoon and later planned the Gorilla/Orangutan exhibit and the Lion exhibit. Other projects of note are Library and Clinic additions for Washburn Law School, additions and site development at First United Methodist Church in Topeka and construction of the Huck Boyd Center in Phillipsburg, Kansas.

He enjoyed serving on the Metropolitan Planning Commission, and has also been involved in community service since returning to Topeka. He is past President of the Boys Club of Topeka Board, Downtown Topeka Rotary Club, Topeka High School Historical Society Board, Historic Mount Oread and Native Sons and Daughters of Kansas. He was involved for many years with Rotary International sponsorship of young business professionals for travel and study in other countries. Phil received the Rotary International Foundation Trustees Meritorious Service Award for District 5710 in 2014.

Phil is survived by Collette, his wife and cheerleader of 60 years; two daughters, Paige Miller and her husband Ridge and their daughter Frances, of Carmel, Indiana and Janet Coolidge of Kansas City, Missouri; Brother and sister-in-law, Dr. Tom and Karlin Coolidge of Boise, Idaho and nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his mother and father. Phil has gifted his remains for use by KU Medical Center for science and education.

A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, December 9, 2017 at Grace Episcopal Cathedral, 701 W 8th Topeka, KS 66603.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to The Boys and Girls Club of Topeka, 550 SE 27th Street, Topeka, KS 66605 or The Topeka Rescue Mission, 600 N Kansas Ave. Topeka, KS 66608.