Keith Phillips

Keith L. Phillips of Boulder died on March 8, 2016 at New Dawn Assisted Living for the Memory Impaired in Aurora, Colorado. He was 78. Keith was born June 11, 1937 in Broken Bow Nebraska, the son of Albert “Bud” and Helen Hamilton Phillips. When the family moved to Boulder in 1949, Keith attended Uni Hill Junior High School and Boulder High School, where he made life-long friends and developed a profound love of mathematics and talent for basketball. His Boulder summers were spent exploring the mountains, working at Owens on The Hill, moving stone for the new Boulder Reservoir, and helping to build the “Joslins Building” downtown. Keith went on to study mathematics at CU Boulder (BS ’59, MS ’61). He married his first wife, Evonne Barrett, in 1961, after which they moved to Seattle where Keith would pursue his doctoral studies at University of Washington (PhD ’64.) Keith began his career as Associate Professor at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, CA. Three years later, the family moved to Las Cruces, New Mexico, where Keith spent the majority of his career as Professor of Mathematics at New Mexico State University, teaching and researching in his areas of expertise: harmonic analysis and image processing. During his tenure, Keith directed 11 PhD students and held various consulting positions, including at Jet Propulsion Laboratory and White Sands Missile Range. Keith was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and recipient of the prestigious Lester R. Ford award for excellence in mathematical exposition. He was equally proud of his athletic accomplishments. Although he regretted giving up college basketball in favor of math, he made up for it by becoming a fierce competitor on the handball court in Las Cruces. Upon retirement from NMSU, Keith returned to Boulder where he met his second wife, Sharon Hagan, and looked after his beloved parents. In 1990, he joined the CU faculty in Colorado Springs where he continued to teach until his second retirement in 2007. Keith continued to find joy doing pure math in his study, surrounded by pillars of books, a giant white board, and mementos of a long and rewarding career. In addition to mathematics, Keith savored a life of outdoor adventure and lived to tell about many a misadventure. He most cherished ski trips and camping with his children, hikes in Eldorado canyon with Sharon and their dog, winter expeditions over mountain passes, sounds of children playing, and the call of the great composers of classical music. Keith had both an eye and ear for beauty, whether it be an elegant mathematical solution or a stirring performance of choral music. Keith will be most remembered for his endearing laugh, his wholehearted embrace of diversity and his ability to see the best in people. Welcoming guests into his home, for any length of stay, was surely his hallmark. Family and friends came first. Keith leaves behind his wife, Sharon Hagan; brother Dr. Richard Phillips (Ethel) of Lakewood; daughter Katrina Thernell of McKinleyville CA; daughter Anne Lindquist (Tom) of Trinidad CA; son Michael Phillips (Ginger) of Louisville CO; step-son David Havas (Hayley) of Madison WI; step-son Alex Havas of Boulder CO; grandchildren Russell and Matthew Lindquist, Joshua Thernell, and Johanna Havas; niece Cynthia Phillips; nephew Ken Phillips; and numerous cousins. Keith’s sister Nancy died in infancy in 1945. A celebration of life will be held in Boulder in early July. Please contact a family member for details. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Keith’s name to the National Parks Conservation Association https://www.npca.org or to any organization dedicated to preserving wilderness.