Remembering A Veteran, A Father, A Grandfather: Phil Chavez

Hello, my name is Janet. I am the youngest daughter of Phillip Michael Chavez. On March 24, 2025, my father gained his wings and ascended into the clouds at 3:25pm to continue the afterlife with Virginia Balinski (Mother) Walter Balinski (Father) and Claudius Chavez (Son), it brings me much sadness that exactly 167 days after burying my grandmother, I found myself back at the same funeral home making arrangements for my FATHER. As all should know my father was a fisherman, one of the very best. For as long as I can remember every weekend we would take a trip to either a new location or the same one because of how much he caught the previous weekend. And at one point returning from another fishing trip out in Baja California, with 2 chest coolers full of fish my dad stopped at our local church and started handing out fish to everyone. As a father of 4 and a grandfather of 19, my dad definitely was family oriented and the meaning of spending time together meant A LOT to him. In January a couple weeks before retiring, dad was rushed to the hospital, semi recovered and was sent home to continue onto physical therapy, about a month later, we took him back to Lovelace where he spent another month in where the doctors gave him the prognosis of 3 months, with this devastating news all he wanted to do was go home, to be in the comfort of his home to be with his family. Exactly a week later of taking him home, dad took his last breath. Dad was a very firm but loving person, and every intention he had was pure and sincere. A very hardheaded person that was certainly someone to get the job done, including extended the tenure contract of his position at work. Unfortunately, with Dad as head of household and with him passing we appreciate everything as he would too.