Janzen Philip (“Phil”) Lohrenz died from complications of myocarditis on Thursday, October 19, 2023, at Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia. He was 79.

Phil was born in Tigard, Oregon in 1944, the third child of Jacob Peter and Marjorie Benson (Brown) Lohrenz. As a youth he was active in his local 4H club, and at Tigard High School he was the school photographer. He graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in Agriculture in 1971. He went on to work for various OSU departments, including Soils, Animal Science, and Agriculture.

In 1967 Phil married Linda Nelson. The couple lived in Corvallis, Oregon, and had one daughter. They divorced in 1976.

In 1977, Phil married Mary Jo Conibear. The couple relocated to Lincoln City, Oregon, where they opened a daycare. There, Phil was a man-of-all-work, constructing playground equipment, painting classrooms, repairing the roof, and teaching children how to tie their shoes by “chasing the rabbit around the tree.” Eventually, Phil and Mary had two children of their own. Phil pursued many hobbies, among them tracing his family history, hunting and fishing, and breeding rabbits for show.

Mary Jo received a job offer in 1992, and the family moved to Herlong, California. Phil often described with fondness the international tour that followed, as Mary Jo’s career with the U.S. military took the Lohrenz family around the world. At each new location, Phil found work that suited his skills and interests — an English teacher, a veterinary technician, a home improvement consultant, a volunteer set builder for the local theater. He eased into retirement with the mastery of one who had puttered devotedly for his entire life. Phil loved to make things, filling his garage with “Stuff That Might Be Useful Someday”, and particularly enjoyed woodworking.

In 2016, Phil and Mary Jo moved to Ocean Shores, Washington, where Phil enjoyed fishing on Duck Lake. He is survived by his children, Kristin, Amelia and Lucy, his wife, Mary Jo, and his sisters, Greta and Janet.