Philip Eugene Christie, son of Allen Jay and Elizabeth (Carter) Christie was born April 21, 1922, on a farm in rural Brookings, SD. He died Saturday, June 1, 2013, in Brookview Manor, Brookings, SD. Funeral Services will be held at 10:00a.m., Saturday, June 8, 2013, at the First United Methodist Church in Brookings. Visitation will be from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. on Friday at the Eidsness Funeral Home in Brookings. His early childhood was spent on a farm south of Brookings. He attended country schools and graduated from Volga High School in 1940. Phil served in the Army during WWII from April 28, 1942 to November 30, 1945. He served in the 333rd Engineers and was stationed in Europe. In 2011 he was privileged to fly on one of the Honor Flights to Washington, DC and was able to see the World War II Memorial. On November 9, 1947, he married Elizabeth Gene Buller in Brookings, at the First United Methodist Church. Following their marriage they started farming, milking cows and later raising hogs, and continued in that profession for nearly 50 years. In 1995 they retired from farming, but continued to live on the farm. Phil was an active member of the SD Pork Council, serving on the State Board of Directors, a school board member of School District #55, an active member of the American Legion, a leader of the Prairie Farmers Boys 4-H club, and an active member of the First United Methodist Church, serving as a Sunday School Teacher and on various boards and committees. He went with church members on a Volunteers In Mission trip to Mexico in 1997. He was a lover of horses and raised them for the delight of his grandchildren. Grateful for having shared his life are his wife E. Gene; five daughters: Bonnie (Paul) Smith, Montrose; Peggy (Bud) Eggers, Volga; Jill Christie, Dawson, MN; Gretchen (Bill) Knutson, Brookings; and Melissa Christie (Craig Tanner), Andover, MN; 14 grandchildren: Philip Eggers, Joshua (Mindy) Eggers, Rebekah (Nick)Scott, Sarah (Kirk) Jensen, Heidi (Ryan) Farquhar, Gretchen Smith, Brian (Stephanie) Smith, Toby (Lisa) Christie-Perkins, Luke (fiancée-Emma) Christie-Perkins, Christie (Shane) von Holdt, Kent (Katie) Knutson, Chase Knutson, Jocelyn and Cassidy Tanner; 14 great-grandchildren, sister Betty Wilson, and relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, infant daughter, Rebecca Gene, and two brothers, Calvin David and Bruce Allen.