Philip Wahl Obituary

Philip Edward Wahl

1924 - 2024

Santa Maria, CA - Philip Edward Wahl, 99 of Santa Maria, passed away Tuesday, January 9, 2024.

He was born April 30, 1924, in Los Angeles, CA to Gifford and Monica Wahl (Fitzgerald). Phil joined the U.S. Army Air Force and served in Adak, Alaska during World War II before his honorable discharge as a Sergeant 23rd Air Service Group. He was a graduate of UCSB and earned his Master's degree at USC. He taught at Santa Maria High School, Santa Maria City College, but most notably at Allan Hancock College as a professor of electronics from 1949 to 1989. During the Korean War, in the reserves, he was considered more valuable as an electronics teacher in Santa Maria. Phil had a love for swimming, specializing in the breaststroke and was a swim coach at Santa Maria High School from 1950 to 1958.

On June 12, 1948, Phil married his loving wife, Beatrice Betty (Freitas) Wahl (dec.), having met her while working as an orderly at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara. Family was Phil's life. He often worked nights and even worked at KSEE to support his family. He was a devoted husband to Betty taking loving care of her for many years. His children, who survive him, Mark (Sandy), Greg (Judi), P.J. (Monica), Eric (Leona, dec.), Kurt (Mari), Mary Ann (Wayne), and Frank (Kathy). He had 20 Grandchildren: Janelle, Philip (dec.), Johnnie, Mykel (dec.), Julie Ann, Karen, Thomas, Amie, Jeffrey, Ben, Sean, Kelly, Matthew, Rachael, Andre, Laura, Garrett, Michael (dec.), Philip and Alanna. He had 20 Great Grandchildren: Sean, Brodie, Carson, Liam, Gideon, Basilia, Ethan, Emmy Lou, Owen, Jessica, Claire, Jasmine, Ginny, Vera, Adrian, Kira, Rowan, Theo, Joanna and Ellie.

His lifelong passion was ham radio from the time he was a teenager. He and friends would scrounge parts to build radios. On his chart were hundreds of locations pinned. He communicated all over the world into his last week of life twice a day, and practiced his morse coding daily. Phil Wahl, W6YLD clear.

A gravesite ceremony will be held on Tuesday, January 16, 2024, at 1:00 PM in the original section of the Santa Maria Cemetery, 1501 S. College Dr, Santa Maria. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Alzheimer's Association or Santa Barbara Humane organization.

Arrangements are in the care of Magner-Maloney Funeral Home and Crematory. Sympathy notes and words of support may be expressed at www.magnermaloney.com.