Obituary for Phil Bandy

Phil Bandy, community leader and friend to many, passed away at his home, surrounded by his family on Thursday, January16, 2014, at age 65.

A memorial tribute will be held in his honor at the Poncan Theatre on Monday, January 20, 2014, at 2:00 p.m. The family invites friends to gather with them and share memories of Phil at Trout Funeral Home on Sunday, January 19, from 4-6 p.m.

Phil’s journey began on April 11, 1948. He was born in Oklahoma City, OK, to Bill and Jean Bandy. He lived in Oklahoma City and attended Putnam City schools through the 7th grade. Phil moved to Enid, OK, in 1961, where he graduated from Enid High in 1966. He went on to Phillips University in Enid graduating with a degree in business administration in 1970. During his time at Phillips University, he was a member of Gridiron and served as class president all four years.

He married his college sweetheart Ann Pound in Oklahoma City on May 23, 1970. Their twins Brooke and Blake were born in Ponca City on March 20, 1976.

Phil was kind, generous, considerate, gentle, humble and sincere. He was also brilliantly funny. Phil possessed a matchless wit that prevented those around him from taking life too seriously. He took every opportunity to show his genuine concern for the well-being of others. Understanding and supportive, Phil was a loyal friend who made those around him feel encouraged, simply by his presence.

Phil shared his theatrical talents with the community. He was in over 20 plays and was probably best known for his performances in "A Tuna Christmas." He has been a part of "Taste and Tasteless" since its inception and opened each show as the drill sergeant of the "Lawn-Chair Brigade." He was usually cast as a woman and heard to say, "I am not afraid to wear a dress if it will get a laugh." Often portraying Ponca City’s first mayor, he inhabited the role of B.S. Barnes by presenting Ponca City’s early history and chaired History Day for Leadership Ponca.

Citizens can thank Phil for no longer having to plug parking meters downtown. While owner of Bandy’s Around the Corner, he led the charge to remove the meters.

Phil and the late John Smith made application to the Main Street program to establish it in Ponca City. He served in every capacity in that organization and twice won the John Smith Memorial Award for his many contributions and was chosen board member of the year in 2007.

Phil was currently serving his third term on the Poncan Theatre board. Whether announcing acts, performing on the stage, sweeping floors or popping corn…no task was too small or too great for the theatre he loved.

Phil was in the inaugural class of the Oklahoma Community Institute’s Citizens Academy and received OCI’s Award of Excellence for Community Leadership in 2008.

Among Phil’s passions were education and youth. Presently he was serving on the Pioneer Technology Center school board. For the last ten years, Phil has been a mentor for local youth. Northern Oklahoma Youth Services Adult Role Model Program selected him as Mentor of the Year in 2007.

The honor of which he was most humbled and proud was his selection as Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year, 2008. Also, in 2003, the Chamber chose Phil as Volunteer of the Year

He served and/or volunteered in many organizations including the following: United Way; Centennial Committee; The Millennium Committee; Land of Opportunity Tennis Classic; Cherokee Strip Golf Classic; Ponca City Retail Credit Bureau; Ponca City Tourism Authority; Chamber of Commerce and Ponca City Tomorrow.

Before moving to Ponca City in 1974, Phil worked at Austin’s Mens Wear in Enid, OK. He was active in Kiwanis and organized volunteers to rebuild the train track at Meadow Lake after the great flood of 1973. For this effort, he was chosen as the Kiwanis member of the year.

Phil spent 25 years in the clothing business, including owning his own clothing store, Bandy’s Around the Corner. Whether dressed up or dressed down, Phil was always recognized and often teased about his exceptional sense of style. He’ll always be remembered for his pocket squares, colorful socks, bold ties and collection of Tommy Bahama shirts. A family friend commented that Phil wore pink and purple before it was trendy and rocked it.

Later, he managed the Boettcher, Ryan and Martin Law Firm before joining his wife Ann at her State Farm Agency. He retired in May 2013.

Phil had many hobbies: golf (which he loved but frustrated him), gardening, traveling and spending time with his family. If you were to ask him which one he held most dear, he would tell you it was hearing his granddaughters, Avery and Abby Claire call him "Poppie." He and Ann looked forward to the summers when the girls would come stay at “Camp Gran and Poppie." He loved cheering them on and was their biggest fan at their birthday parties, volleyball games and dance recitals. Whether it was being a kid with them as they experienced the magic of Disney World, giving in to another trip to Cherry Berry, or simply posing for a picture with Hello Kitty stickers attached to his forehead, Phil cherished each and every moment he spent with them.

Phil’s dedication, love and laughter will live on in our community and in the hearts of the many who will miss him greatly.

He is survived by his loving wife Ann, son Blake, daughter Brooke Gehm, her husband Louis and their two daughters Avery and Abby Claire of McKinney, TX; his father Bill Bandy and his wife Peggy of Enid, OK; his sister Toni Tomich and her husband Richard of Desert Hills, AZ; sister Traci Jenkins of Enid, OK; sister Trudi Bandy of Folsom, CA; brother Pat Bandy of Enid, OK; two aunts, an uncle, and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his mother Jean Bandy and brother Tim Bandy.

Memorials can be made to Hospice of North Central Oklahoma, 1904 N. Union, Suite 103, Ponca City, OK 74601; The Poncan Theatre, 104 E. Grand, Ponca City, Oklahoma 74601; Pioneer Technology Center, 2101 N. Ash, Ponca City, Oklahoma 74601 or to Ponca City Main Street, 516 E. Grand, Ponca City, Oklahoma 74601.

Honorary casket bearers will be Fred Boettcher, Larry Buck, John Burks, Tom Carter, Terry Franklin, Chuck Greenwood, Charles Hall, Dave May, Rick Rush, John Shiflet, Richard Tomich, Stan Wheeler, Mike Willis and Jerry Younger.

Source: Trout Funeral Home