W. Philip Gerould

A private family service will be held for W. Philip “Phil” Gerould, 88, at a later date.

On Friday, June 24, 2022, W. Philip “Phil” Gerould, loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away at the age of 88. Phil was born on May 29, 1934, in Sheshequin, Pennsylvania, where he lived until he moved to Waverly, New York. His parents, Charles and Iris Gerould, then welcomed two daughters, Barbara and Patricia and their family was complete. Phil attended West End School, Lincoln Street School, and Waverly High School for his early education and Brown University in Providence Rhode Island for college. As an athlete who loved baseball, basketball, and football, Phil was awarded a scholarship for football, but also played baseball and basketball for the Brown Bears.

The summer after Phil’s junior year, he met and fell in love with Antoinette Longo of Sayre, Pennsylvania. After a short courtship, Phil and Toni married on November 26, 1955. They then returned to Brown University for Phil’s senior year. After college, Phil took a job working for Rand McNally as a salesman in the publishing division of college textbooks. 

Over the next few years Phil and Toni moved several times and settled in Mt. Prospect, Illinois, with their four children, Anne, Kathleen, Timothy, and Marcia. This is one of the places Phil’s family stayed the longest and his children spent their childhood years. While working for SRA, a publishing subsidiary of IBM, Phil earned a promotion to the Palo Alto, California office, moving the school aged children (Tim and Marcia) to California, settling in San Jose, while Anne and Kathi remained at college and worked in Illinois.

Over the next couple of decades, Toni and Phil made a return to the Chicago suburbs and a return to the Bay Area of California with Phil’s publishing career with Crisp Publications. During these years, Phil and Toni watched their children marry, and they became grandparents six times.

Phil’s love of golf led him to retire with Toni to a home in Auburn Woods, a community adjacent to Palatine Hills Golf Course, in Palatine, Illinois. Phil enjoyed taking a retirement job as a course ranger, and Phil and Toni loved living there for 22 years. Three years ago, Phil and Toni moved to Luther Village in Arlington Heights, Illinois.

People would describe Phil as a hard-working man of integrity whose faith guided his family and his life. He converted to Catholicism prior to his marriage to Toni, and he was committed to his faith his entire life. Phil would also be described as a teaser, a good-natured one, and one who liked to tell jokes or a good story from his work travels or college.

Phil accomplished many things in his long life including attending college, enjoying a successful career, marrying the love of his life, raising a loving family, and enjoying a lifelong love of sports. He was an easy-going guy who made friends easily, having some childhood and college friends his whole life.

Phil enjoyed sports his entire life. He enjoyed playing baseball, basketball, football, tennis, and golf, and took up running as an adult, competing in marathons in his 40’s. He was a voracious reader, enjoyed crossword puzzles, and many genres of music including classical, big band, classic rock, and country. What Phil enjoyed the most of all was spending time with his family, especially with a home cooked, gourmet meal made by Toni.

Phil is survived by his beloved wife of 66 years, Toni, his children Anne (Steve), Kathi (Alan), Tim (Mary), Marcia (Kelly) his grandchildren Greg, Kyle (Hilary), Geoffrey, Alison (Greg), Cassandra, and Cameron, his great-grandchildren Reece, Finley, and Will, and his sisters Barbara and Patricia.

Phil was preceded in death by his parents Charles and Iris Gerould and an infant son Joseph Philip Gerould.

A private family service will be held at a later date

Donations may be made in Phil’s memory to The Little Sisters of the Poor or a charity of your choice.

The Little Sisters of the Poor, St. Joseph’s Home for the Elderly 80 W. Northwest Highway, Palatine, Illinois 60067 www.littlesistersofthepoorpalatine.org