Philip R. Fling, 87, of Honey Brook, formerly of Kennett Township, died Saturday, Oct. 30. He was the widower of Elizabeth (Sandy) A. Nordheim who died Dec. 24, 1976, and Elaine R. Kellogg (Daly) who died May 18, 2016.

Phil was born at home in the village of Wawaset, Pocopson Township, on Aug. 11, 1934, to Edwin D. Fling and Verda D. McAllister. He attended Unionville School all 12 years. After that, he attended Drexel Institute of Technology before entering the U.S. Air Force. After tech school, he spent nine months on Long Island before going to Japan where he flew on an RB-29 flying top-secret spy missions against Russia and China.

He met Sandy on a blind date, and they married in 1960, living in Thorndale before building a house in Kennett Township where he lived for 49 years. They adopted two children before Sandy passed away from Leukemia on Christmas Eve 1976. Phil remarried Elaine Daly in 1981. They subsequently retired to TelHai Retirement Community in 2011. Elaine passed from complications during cancer treatments in 2016, after which Phil lived independently at TelHai.

Phil worked for IBM, as a Field Engineer and an Installation Planning Rep. for 38 years. During this period, he enjoyed traveling in his Airstream travel trailers, going throughout the United States and Canada. He loved working in his yard and garden, hunting and fishing with his family and friends, and genealogy research of the Fling and other predominant families in the region.

His survivors include his son Steven (Beth), his daughter Valerie (Rob) Tolentino, his stepson Russell Daly (Joan), and his stepson Kevin Daly. He has five grandsons and five granddaughters. He is also survived by a younger brother, Richard (Carol) Fling. He was predeceased by his brothers Samuel and Robert, and his sister Rebecca.

Philip's memorial service will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 11, at St. Michael's Lutheran Church, 109 East Doe Run Road Unionville, PA 19375. Friends may visit with the family from 10-11 a.m. before the service. Interment will be in Union Hill Cemetery, Kennett Square.

Contributions in his memory can be made to 'The Care Assurance Fund' at TelHai, P.O. Box 190, Honey Brook, PA 19344. Arrangements are by Matthew J. Grieco of Grieco Funeral Home & Crematory (484-734-8100) Condolences may be shared at www.griecofunerals.com