LANGE PHILLIP D

CPT Phillip "Phil" D. Lange was a VHPA member who died after his tour in Vietnam on 08/21/2021 at the age of 77.5 from Hypertension
Topeka, KS
Flight Class 68-22
Date of Birth 02/21/1944
Served in the U.S. Army
Served in Vietnam with C/7/1 CAV in 69-70
Call sign in Vietnam COMANCHE 3
This information was provided by Mike Peterson - Blackhawk

More detail on this person: Phillip Dean Lange, 77, of Topeka, died peacefully on Thursday, August 19th, surrounded by his family. Though he had suffered declining health for the past five years his primary cause of death was hydrocephalus. His sense of humor and positive attitude remained with him to the end of his life. He will be sorely missed. At his request he was cremated. Phil was born on February 21, 1944, to Otto and Erna Winter Lange in Clay Center, Kansas. He lived in Linn, Kansas - population 400 - as he loved to brag. He attended public grade school and graduated from high school there as well. He always declared that he could not have received a better education than he did at Linn. Phil attended Kansas State University and earned degrees in economics, political science and journalism. He continued to complete a master's degree and post graduate work in economics. Phil married Jean Folkerts on September 6, 1964. During their marriage they adopted a son, Sean Christopher. They were later divorced. Phil was commissioned a second lieutenant out of Army ROTC program at K-State and earned his pilot's license in the Army's flight training program there. After graduate school he attended Armor Officer's course at Fort Knox, KY. He attended Officer's Rotary Wing Pilots courses at Ft. Wolters, TX and at Savannah, GA after which he was assigned to a year's duty (1969-1970) in Vietnam as a combat pilot in an Air Calvary unit in the Mekong Delta. During that time, he was promoted to Captain. After his Army service, Phil worked for a short time with the Kansas Department of Transportation in Highway Safety. Later he joined Central Research and Development (best known for its political activities and expertise), from which he retired as VP and Research Director in 2006. Phil spent his last half-dozen working years as a crime analyst with the Shawnee County Sheriff's Department. He also served 15 years as a volunteer board member for the Shawnee County Rural Water District #1. He spent many years as a loyal member of the Southwest Optimist Club which included hours and hours of volunteer time helping to set up "The Best Christmas Tree Lot in Topeka" to sell trees as their fundraiser. Phil also served many years on the Board of the Topeka Cancer Society which included helping run the 24-hour softball tournament, a fundraiser for a number of years. Soon after Phil's military career, he bought a 1947 Aeronca Super Chief airplane - which he always said he brought home in pieces in a bushel basket. He rebuilt the plane, and thus began a true love! He spent hours during the weekend flying around in his plane with Sean, friends and relatives. Often on good days he would go to Mesa Verde after work and "drill holes in the sky." He called in his "golf." After several years of "batching with son Sean" Phil married Kathleen Dutton Towns on November 21, 1980. He and Kathy enjoyed more than 40 years of life together. They loved to travel - almost anywhere in the world; they enjoyed their friends and family and they LOVED Wine Group. Phil delighted in telling people that his was a mixed marriage - he attended K-State and Kathy attended KU. After a mild heart attack in the late 1980s, Phil gave up flying and started improving the 17 acres of land he and Kathy moved to in the country. He often said, when looking out from his screened-in porch, "People pay money to sit and watch a view like this." Phil was thrilled when he became a grandfather - bringing the two boys out to ride in a wagon pulled behind the garden tractor and sometimes even getting to drive it with help from Pa Pa. And to finish off a full weekend there would often be a cookout down by the pond. Never did he have more fun. One of Phil's greatest regrets was the loss of his two coffee groups - one daily during the week and the other on the weekends. The pandemic stopped their meetings abruptly and then because of his health he was never able to join those folks again. He many times said, "I really miss the coffee group." Phil was predeceased by his parents, his sister Martha, and his brother Carroll. He is survived by his wife, Kathy; his son Sean (Jen) and grandsons Ryan (16) and Eric (12) of DeSoto, KS. Also surviving is his sister, Harriet Lange (Mike Nowak) of Topeka. The family would like to thank the entire staff at Homestead Nursing Facility for their loving and positive ministrations while Phil was in their care. On Sunday, August 29, the family will receive friends from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Dove Cremations and Funerals - Southwest Chapel, 3700 SW Wanamaker Road. A memorial service will be held on Monday, August 30, at 10:30 AM at Dove Cremations and Funerals - Southwest Chapel. A reception will follow. Masks are requested for both occasions. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to The Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, 1515 SW 10th, Topeka, KS 66604; The Topeka Zoo and Conservation Center, 635 W Gage, Topeka, KS 66606; or The Topeka Rescue Mission, PO Box 8350, Topeka, KS 66608. Dove Cremations and Funerals - Southwest Chapel is assisting the family. To leave a message for Phillip's family or to share a special memory of Phillip, please click on the "Share Memories" button above.

Burial information: Cremation

This information was last updated 12/02/2021

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Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024


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