In Memoriam

“There is a remedy for every wrong. I think of myself as having a skill that results in the finding of this remedy more quickly than most, and advancing that position with confidence.” — Gerald J. Phillips

Gerald “Gerry” Joseph Phillips, beloved husband, father, grandfather, uncle, U.S. Marine, lawyer, mentor, and cherished friend, died at home on June 14, 2026, surrounded by his family. He was 85.

Born on December 18, 1940, Gerry was raised in Milton, Massachusetts by Joseph Benedict Phillips and Marie Catherine Phillips, née O’Connor. He attended Boston College High School and graduated from Boston College in 1962. Gerry then graduated from Boston University School of Law in 1965.

Gerry came to Orange County in 1966 to serve as a Judge Advocate at the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station at El Toro, where he also served as a Military Judge. He remained in the Marine Corps Reserve for many years and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1987. He was an original founder and longtime trustee of Orange County’s November 10th Association, helping sustain the local Marine Corps Birthday tradition and the fellowship of Marines, veterans, and friends of the Corps.

After his admission to the California Bar in 1968, Gerry practiced law bin Orange County for more than five decades. He was among the original group of Certified Family Law Specialists, served as Chair of the Orange County Bar Association’s Family Law Section, and as a Judge Pro Tem for the Orange County Superior Court. In 1999, he was a founding partner in the prestigious family law firm now known as Phillips Whisnant Gazin Gorczyca and Curtin LLP. Gerry received many professional honors and accolades over the years, none more significant to him than the Family Law Section’s Charles Garrity Award, recognizing the “quintessential family lawyer.” He was a formidable trial lawyer with an abiding sense of honor, strength and equity—virtues celebrated by his partners as the foundation of their firm’s success.

Gerry met his future wife, Barbara Sue Phillips, née Stephenson, known to all as “Bobbi,” on a blind date soon after he arrived in California. They were married on December 16th, 1967 at the base chapel and exited through the Arch of Sabers. Gerry was a devoted husband who regularly described Bobbi as “the greatest wife of all time.” Gerry and Bobbi were best friends, bound by a profound and enduring love. Their 58 years of marriage were too short.

Gerry was famously proud of his children, their spouses, and his grandchildren. He was a Life Master bridge player, an avid golfer who cherished his regular groups of golfing friends, and a lifelong car enthusiast. As a younger man he loved sports cars; later in life, he collected and appreciated classic cars.

He was faithful in friendship. When friends were ill, he visited. When people mattered to him, they knew it. If you were truly special, he called you by a nickname—whether you liked it or not. He teased, and loved being teased. In spite of his sometimes-intimidating demeanor, he never took himself too seriously.