Obituary of Phillip D. Letz

Phillip D. Letz, age 87, longtime Iowa City resident died Friday, February 21, 2020, at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Services celebrating Phillip’s life will be held at 7 pm, Thursday, March 5, 2020, at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service, where visitation will be held from 4 -7 pm. Burial with military honors will take place at the Winterset Cemetery, Winterset, Iowa at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made in his memory to the Wounded Warriors Project. To share a thought, memory or condolence with his family please visit the funeral home website @ www.gayandciha.com. Phillip Duane Letz was born January 4, 1933, in Patterson, Iowa the son of Donald and Mildred (White) Letz. Following graduation from high school he went to work for Northwestern Bell Telephone. At the age of 19 he was drafted into the United States Army serving during the Korean Conflict. Prior to leaving for Korea he married Marvyl M. Black in Adel, Iowa on January 5, 1953. In 1965, Phillip and his family moved to Iowa City where he continued his career with the former Northwestern Bell Telephone that spanned over 30 years before his retirement. Phil was the jack of all trades, pretty good at most, but willing and able to tackle all! He for many years had a business out of his home called “Let’s Fix It” a small engine repair service. Phil loved going to work; he enjoyed his coworkers, customers, friends and even strangers who became friends. The recliner was always a good place to end up for a nap, HyVee was the place to meet his buddies for breakfast, he was known to have hit a few jackpots at the casino, and his favorite places to relax was at a friend’s tree-farm or with a fishing pole in his hands. He liked his simple life, and dearly loved those around him! His family includes his two children, Martin “Marty” Letz and Carisa Letz and her sweetheart, Dale McCreedy; his granddaughter and her husband, Tara Jo and Mike Turechek; a sister, Margaret Caskey and his brother, Larry Letz. Phillip was preceded in death by his parents, wife, Marvyl in 1999, twin sisters, Frances and Francine and a brother, Dwight.