Rosary services set for Phillip F. ‘Phil the Barber’ Marquez

Rosary services for Phillip F. Marquez will be recited at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24, at the San Buenaventura Mission, Ventura.

Known as “Phil the Barber,” Marquez died  at his home in Ventura on Feb. 15, after a brief illness with pneumonia. He was 96.

Marquez, born Jan. 14, 1915 in Saticoy, was a lifetime Ventura resident and owned and operated Phil’s Barbershop on Ventura’s west side. He retired in 2010 after 63 years of service to the community.

The City of Ventura celebrated “Phil Marquez Day” with the Phil’s Barbershop First Friday Installation and Film on June 4, 2010 at the Bell Arts Factory in Ventura. The event, which featured a large crowd in attendance, continued the next day with an Aloha party for Marquez. Guests wore Hawaiian shirts in honor of Marquez, who had travelled to Hawaii for nine years in a row and could usually be seen wearing a colorful Hawaiian shirt.

Click here to see images from “Phil Marquez Day.”

Click here to see the Ventura County Star story.

Click here to see his entire obituary notice.

Marquez graduated from Ventura College, where he played basketball, baseball and ran track. He was also a graduate from the Los Angeles Barber College. During World War II, Marquez served in Europe in Army Aircorps as a medic. He was a member of the American Legion, Ventura Post 339; the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Ventura Post 1679, and a member of the 467th Bombardment Group.

His hobbies included hunting, deep sea and fresh water fishing, and camping with his family at Lake June. Marquez was a member of the Knights of Columbus, Ventura Council 2498, a former past president of the P.T.A. at Holy Cross School, and also an accomplished photographer, the family reported. One of his talents and hobbies was playing the harmonica and he would serenade each of his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren on the harmonica with “Las Mananitas” on their birthdays.

Marquez  is survived by his beloved wife of 64 years, Angelina; children, Kathy Gregory (Lorne), of Vancouver, Wash., Barbara Marquez-O’Neill, of Ventura, Phillip Marquez (Leilani), of The Woodlands, Texas, Mary Ann White (Brad) of Ojai; grandchildren, Dr. Michelle Duran, of Montevallo, Ala., Rosana Duran-Carlson, of Phoenix, Ariz., Kila O’Neill (Tim Hufler), of Plano, Texas, James Neu-Wa O’Neill (Pamela), of Singapore, Stephanie Belitski (Brian), of Ventura, Nancy O’Neill (Peter Kellner), of Ventura, Eric White, of Ojai, Rachel, Miranda and Zoe Marquez, of The Woodlands, Texas; great-grandchildren, Joshua Duran-Carlson, Cory Carlson, Joseph Messina, Michael Messina, Max Duran, Bradley McLure, Ryan Duran, Parker McLure, Quinn Hufler, Devin Hufler, Kamea Kellner, Phillip McLure, Lilia O’Neill, Valentina Kellner.

Visitation will be held from 1 to 4 p.m.Thursday, Feb. 24. Following the Rosary services that evening, mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 25, at the San Buenaventura Mission. Burial will follow at Ivy Lawn Memorial Park, Ventura.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in memory of Phillip F. Marquez be made to Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Assn., 1996 Eastman Ave., Ste. 101, Ventura, CA 93003-5768, or Sisters Servants of Mary, 140 No. G St., Oxnard, CA 93030.