Philip S. French, 66, of the Villages, Florida, and formerly of Centerville, MA passed away unexpectedly in Florida on Monday, February 27, 2017 with his family by his side. He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Denise Veilleux French; his daughter, Cheryl (Hayden) Jones; and grandchildren Eli and Olivia Jones. He also leaves behind his sister, Patricia French Dore and brother, Robert French of Centerville, MA. He is predeceased by his parents, Maurice and Helen Buckler French. In addition to his immediate family he will be deeply missed by his large extended family and many dear friends. Phil was born and raised on Cape Cod. He graduated from Barnstable High School in 1969. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and graduated top of his class from Parris Island, SC. He proudly served 24 years in the Air National Guard and retired in 2003 as a Lt. Colonel. This past fall he volunteered for an Honor Flight taking veterans to Washington DC. Phil lived his life to the fullest. He and Denise rode their bikes across the country in 1976, and on that same bike he also participated in the Last Gasp on Cape Cod and most recently again with Denise in a 30 mile bike-a-thon in the Villages. Phil was an amazing runner completing many marathons and triathlons proudly finishing the Boston Marathon in 3hr 25min. He loved living on the Cape, sailing, fishing, and taking his boat to Sandy Neck. In addition to skiing, and playing golf he enjoyed driving his golf cart around the villages, playing Pickle ball and Dragon Boat racing. He was an amazing man who meant so much to so many people.
A celebration of life will be held March 9, 2017 at 1 p.m. at the Savannah Center in The Villages, FL and on Cape Cod, MA on May 19, 2017. Inurnment will be at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne.
