Phil A. Gulick, KG4IGX SK Philip Anthony Gulick July 26, 1932 - February 10, 2018 Philip Anthony Gulick, 85, passed away February 10, 2018 at home with his loving wife of 58 years, Barbara, by his side. Philip was born and raised in Denver, CO. He served in the Marine Corps from 1951 to 1955 and distinguished himself as an expert marksman and was tops in his class at the Navy SCUBA dive school at Pearl Harbor. He served in the First Amphibious Recon Company aboard the USS Submarine Perch 313 with duty stations in California, Alaska, Hawaii, the Philippines, and Japan. He was an avid sports writer working for the Miami Beach Sun, Miami News, Orlando Sentinel, and St. Petersburg Times. He served as President of the St. Pete Writers Club and published 4 novels. He loved fishing, coaching softball, model trains, and serving as a scoutmaster. During retirement he kept busy as an amateur radio operator, a freelance writer covering sports, model builder, and member of the Tang Base Submarine Veterans at American Legion Post 104. He was a devoted husband, father and grandfather. He is preceded in death by eldest son, Taz, and survived by wife Barbara of 58 years; son Rex; daughters, Kim, Kristina; grandchildren, Jeremy, Jessica, Johnny. In amateur radio talk, Philip is now a Silent Key, no longer sending Morse Code through his mechanical key. As a submarine veteran, Philip is now on Eternal Patrol. A private memorial gathering for the family will be held. Memorials may be made to the SemperFiFund.org. Those wishing to sign his memorial book may do so at reesefuneral.org. Reese Funeral Home. Philip was born in Denver, Colorado on July 26, 1932 to Jean Francis Cooper. His mother met and married Joseph Stephen Gulick and two years later he welcomed his half-sister Mary Ann. Philip graduated from St. Francis De Sales High School in 1951 and enlisted in the U.S. Marines Corps that summer. He emerged from boot camp as an expert marksman. He was assigned duty as a rifle and small arms instructor and was a member of the Marine Corps elite national competition rifle team at Camp Matthews, California. His next duty was with the Marines First Amphibious Recon Company stationed at Camp Pendleton, California and aboard the USS Submarine Perch 313. He was tops in his class at the Navy SCUBA dive school at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and took his basic underwater demolitions school (BUDS) at Coronado Island near San Diego. He was honorably discharged from the Corps in 1955 after having duty stations around the world including: San Diego, California; Kodiak, Alaska; Kaneohe, Hawaii; Subic Bay, Philippines; and Sasebo, Japan. Philip started his 50-year sports writing career as a copy boy and sports stringer for the Denver Post while attending the University of Denver from 1955 to 1957. In 1957, he moved to Miami Beach where he worked for the Miami Beach Sun and the Miami News. He met Barbara Smith on Miami Beach in 1959 and instantly knew she was the one. The two moved to Orlando in 1959 where Philip wrote for the Orlando Sentinel. The two were married in December 1959 and remained together until his death. The couple had four children, Taz, Rex, Kim and Kristina. In 1967 the family moved to Largo, Florida where Philip wrote for the St. Petersburg Times. He retired in 1977 but remained active in writing, working as the news editor for the Bradenton Herald from 1978 to 1980. He also continued work as a freelance writer for the Times covering high school, local and national bowling, and major league baseball spring training with teams including the Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals from 1983 to 2005. He also taught basic writing courses for St. Pete Junior College from 1995 to 1998. His contributions to prep sports were recognized by the then director of the Florida High School Athletic Association. He was inducted into the St. Petersburg Bowling Association Hall of Fame in 1999 for his writing efforts. He was President of the St. Petersburg Writers Club and was very proud of his four published novels including Rails on the Wind in 1995, Ride the High Iron in 1998, Thunderheads and Rainbows in 2001, and Escape to Shangri-La in 2002. He was a ham radio operator, a member of the U.S. Submarine Veterans Amateur Radio Association, the Historic Naval Ships Association, the Navy Amateur Radio Club and the Tang Base Submarine Veterans at the American Legion Post 104 in Pinellas Park. http://www.reesefuneral.com/obituaries/Philip-Gulick/#!/Obituary
