Phillip L. Garfoot, of Stehekin, Washington, passed away peacefully at the age of 72 on Tuesday, March 30, 2010, at his temporary home in Wenatchee, Washington following a brave and strong battle with lung cancer.

Phil is survived by his loving wife Wendy (Hall) Garfoot; his son Brun and his wife Mindy (Jeffries) Garfoot and their four children Leanna, Josie, Makayla and Ian; his daughter Liv (Garfoot) Moir and her husband John Moir.

Phil was born to Russell and Frankie Garfoot in Porterville, California on August 10th, 1937. He attended schools in Fresno, California and graduated from Roosevelt High School. While there, he was an outstanding baseball player who loved the infield and played second base, and baseball remained a passion - and a frequent conversation topic - throughout his life.

After high school he attended Fresno State College and the University of Montana, where he studied Art. He admired artists, illustrators, and cartoonists alike - often thinking in cartoons - and his artistic talent and keen eye for beauty later inspired his unique hand-routed wood signs that are a trademark of the Stehekin Valley and miles of surrounding backcountry trails.

In 1958, Phil joined the Merchant Marines as an Ordinary Seaman. He had the privilege of being a crew member on the maiden voyage of the hospital ship Hope, spending a year aboard, mainly in parts of Indonesia. In 1960 Phil joined the United States Army and served in the 101st Airborne Division as a Paratrooper.

Phil's love of the outdoors and wildlife eventually led him to work for the National Park Service, first as a Seasonal Ranger in Yosemite National Park, and for the last 40 years as the Trails Maintenance Foreman for the North Cascades National Park, living in Stehekin, Washington. Phil met and married his wife Wendy, a nurse, in 1967 while both worked in Yosemite. Phil and Wendy lived at the historic Buckner Apple Orchard for over 30 years. Phil took care of the trees and buildings, welcomed frequent visitors, and kept the character of the place alive.

Before settling in Stehekin, Phil graduated from the Farrier program at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. He practiced this trade throughout his career with the National Park Service in Stehekin, and continued shoeing for local horse owners and outfitters through the last summer of his life.

In 2008, Phil and Wendy took a long-anticipated journey to Norway to explore his family heritage, and returned with pictures and tales to share with friends and family.

Phil is also survived by his younger brother Lance Garfoot and his wife Beverly (Noble) Garfoot and youngest brother Paul Garfoot who was preceded in death by his wife, Sue (Risteen) Garfoot. Lance and Beverly have three children, Todd Garfoot, Lisa Garfoot and Kirsten Olmos and Paul also has three children, Angela Timmen, Abry Garfoot and Meagan (Garfoot) Jackson. He also has many cousins and extended relatives throughout the United States and Norway.

Phil will be remembered for his love of animals, especially dogs. For his legendary long trail hikes on which he told exuberant stories of friends old and new. (He was a big fan of spelling their names aloud). For annual ski trips to shovel snow off the North Fork trail bridge. For his obsessive love of books. For his beefy construction style. And for his impeccable cursive handwritten letters.

Phil will be remembered for his honesty, loyalty, strength, hard work, artistic talent, sense of humor, and especially his love for his family. His independent spirit and sense of humor were evident right up until the end as he constantly searched for a natural cure for his illness and never let his loved ones go long without a good laugh.