Philip Steven Tolley

Philip Steven Tolley, Beloved Son, Brother, Uncle & Friend, Philip Steven Tolley is finally at peace and is with the Lord. He passed on December 9, 2017. Philip was born January 8, 1951 to Max James and Evelynn Rose Tolley, the fourth child of seven in the family. Philip is predeceased by both parents and brother, Robert Douglas Tolley. Survivors include brother, Jim (Alana) Tolley, Oregon, sister, Linda Tolley, brother, Daniel (Kim) Tolley, sisters, Mary Kathleen (Manuel) Mendoza and Teresa (Mel) Greenman, all of Wichita; many nieces and nephews. Philip joined the Marines at 19 and was seriously injured at 20 which resulted in being a paraplegic for the next 46 years of his life. After rehab at Hines VA Hospital near Chicago, Philip came back home to Wichita. About a year later he began to try out a few adventures. Phil played Wheelchair Basketball here & the Team would travel on weekends. He liked the sport but soon found the traveling to be grueling and moved on. Phil also bowled with a wheelchair league and acquired many trophies in both sports. Philip spent some time bow hunting & bought all the camo stuff to be properly equipped. He really didn’t like the idea of killing the wild animals in the long run. Philip learned to scuba dive here in Wichita, but clear water was too far away to stay with it. The next interest was his motorcycle with a sidecar. He would pull up into it and the controls were mounted right there and the motorcycle was off to the side. Phil really liked the freedom of the motorcycle and would take nephews out for a ride too. It was always harder and more work to remain independent taking care of himself almost to the day he passed. Philip was extremely vigilant about his battle with skin ulcers, taking care to stay down as much as he could, using the proper cushions to prevent them, following all the guidelines. Often, there were only surgical resolutions when all else failed. Philip always cared for his family, helped all of us at some time or another to get through a crisis, often financially, but also on an emotional level. He was loving and kind and quiet a lot of the time. When people would first meet Philip, they might think he was gruff or grouchy but really, he was reserved. Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 A.M., Friday, January 19, 2018, at Downing Lahey Mortuary, 6555 E. Central. In lieu of flowers, a Memorial has been set up with Medical Loan Closet 6655 E. Harry, Wichita, KS 67207 (Phone (316) 779-8989). When writing a check, please indicated “Philip Tolley” in the memo line. This organization serves the Community by loaning Durable Medical Equipment to the underserved and those who have insurance issues.