Phillip K. Stephens, 68, of Buckner passed away on Thursday, December 8, 2022.
Visitation will be 10am-12pm Saturday, December 17, 2022 at Susquehanna Assembly of God Church; Independence, MO. Funeral service will follow at 12pm. Burial at Buckner Hill Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to Susquehanna Assembly of God in Independence, MO.
Phillip was born on February 21, 1954, in Independence, Missouri, the son of Henry L. and Nancy E. (Nelson) Stephens. He was united in marriage to Julia (Julie) Nicholls on March 16, 1974, in Wellman, Iowa. He was a 1972 high school graduate of Fort Osage High School. Phillip was a loving husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, best friend and mentor. He was a believer in Jesus Christ and accepted Jesus into his life along with his wife Julie and both were baptized together in 1975. Phillip was an active member of Susquehanna Assembly of God church. Phillip was successful at running and operating a large hog operation, which later he turned the hog barns into a manufacturing plant to distribute his gas additive product of Gas-Aid and then later Hi-Pro-Power additive and racing fuel. He traveled the country delivering his racing fuel, attending trade shows and even was a distributor for Western Auto stores. His next adventure was going into excavating, something he trained to do as a young man and always referenced being trained by the greatest old timer “Martin”. Phillip started A1-Excavating and became “Dr. Phil Pond”. He was well known through the Kansas City area for being the best pond builder, pond cleaner and anything else the customers asked him to do. Remove trees, build fence, build and install docks, to name a few of the side requests. Phillip always worked hard to provide for his family and took pride in everything he did. Phillip always would accept a challenge and never said the word can’t. He was a man that could look at a pile of junk and find a way to pull something out of it and make or fix anything. Phillip loved supporting and encouraging his kids to race, Go-Karts, BMX bicycles, Motorcycles, Stock, Modified and Sprint Cars. Phillip constructed his own BMX track, Countryside to provide a private training facility for his kids. The track held Weekly, State, Regional and National races. Phillip always wanted his creation to be well known and built one of the biggest berms in the Country. Whatever the kids wanted to race, Phillip not only made it happen he went the extra mile to help them achieve their goals and was always trying to figure out how to make everything go fast to give his kids an advantage.
Phillip is survived by his wife Julia (Julie) of 48 years of Buckner, children Angela Stephens, of Grain Valley, John (Keona) Stephens of Kansas City, Joshua (Kelly)Stephens of Buckner, Jeremiah (Lacy)Stephens of Independence, Julia Elizabeth Stephens of Buckner, Josiah (Tiffany)Stephens, of Grain Valley. Grandchildren, Brianna Stephens, Jessica, Mateo and Marcos Medrano, Spencer and Carter Stephens, Preston and Hadley Stephens, Jerilynn Brown and Isabella Miller, Brooklynne, Averie and Cailie Stephens. Great Grandchild, Julianna Rosales. Sister, Phyllis Stephens of Independence.
Phillip loved spending time with his grand kids, he loved taking them fishing in the farm pond, taking them for rides in the side by side and on the four-wheeler. His heart was full of love and a smile that beamed with pride of the family he and Julie created.
Preceding him in death were his parents.
Obituary submitted by the family.
Arrangements: Royer’s New Salem Funeral Home Independence, MO 816-796-8600