Marshall Leroy Phares

Marshall Leroy Phares was born on January 28, 1936, in Palisade, Nebraska to Albert and Buryle (Nicholson) Phares. The family relocated to Riverside California in 1952. After graduating from high school Marshall would join the United States Navy. He served on the USS Piedmont, a destroyer tender. Once honorably discharged from the Navy he studied electrical engineering and began working for the Navy in civil service. While living in Riverside California he would meet the love of his life, Karen Johnson. They both lived at the same apartment complex and Karen would say he was the “handsome man who rode a motorcycle”. They would fall in love and while working on a Navy project in Hawaii Marshall called Karen up and asked her to fly out so they could marry on February 11, 1969. They were married 53 years. Marshall’s career in civil service would eventually take the family to San Diego California where he would work for the Naval Ocean Systems Center for the next 35 years. In the early 1980s his job would also take him to Wales, Alaska. The move to Alaska provided an adventure living in the wilderness. Marshall and Karen would live there for two years. In 1991 shortly after retiring he and Karen decided to settle in Aumsville, Oregon. Marshall enjoyed US History, gun collecting, and reading (western novels and military history). He also played the guitar and sang. When the kids were growing up he would play the guitar and sing while they were going to bed. Marshall was a loving husband, father, and friend. On February 12, 2022 he passed away in Aumsville, Oregon. He is survived by his wife, Karen Phares; children, Michael Albert Phares, Nicholas Kelly Phares, and Kristine Marie Morris; grandchildren, Laura Phares, Greg Phares, Nicholas Elijah Phares; siblings, Kelly Phares and Nicholas Phares.