Phillip Douglas Tomlinson

Phillip Douglas Tomlinson was born in Carnegie, Oklahoma, on August 19, 1938, to Jim and Olga Tomlinson. He grew up in Anadarko and Perkins. In high school he played football and basketball and as a member of FFA raised lambs and won a national championship in livestock judging. Phillip met Carol Huggins at Oklahoma State University, and they married in June 1959. Phillip first worked as an oil land man for Conoco and Pan American. Their son, Steven, was born October 1961. Phillip was among the first graduates of OSU’s new MBA program in 1962. Their son Craig was born in 1963. In 1967 the family moved to Shawnee where Phillip wrote grants for the Central Oklahoma Economic Development District. In 1968, Kiamichi Economic Development District hired Phillip as the new director of its office in Wilburton. In 1970 Governor Dewey Bartlett appointed Phillip to the Ozarks Regional Commission to serve as liaison for a four-state area, and the family returned to Shawnee. In 1974, Phillip joined Landmark Land, a real-estate development firm known for its golf courses and resort projects including Oak Tree and PGA West. Phillip left Landmark in March 1992 and began a series of successful real estate ventures in partnership with Robert Poe of Tulsa. One perk of self-employment was plenty of time with his granddaughters. In 2003 Governor Brad Henry appointed Phillip Secretary of Transportation. As Secretary he was widely respected for bringing keen business acumen and best practices to Oklahoma’s Department of Transportation and Turnpike Authority and helping the state accelerate the repair of many roads and bridges. After leaving Governor Henry’s cabinet, Phillip led efforts to build Shawnee’s new airport terminal, rebuild the Municipal Swimming Pool and improve several Shawnee streets as well as roads around the state. The Tomlinson family helped start the Northridge Church of Christ in 1976. Phillip was active in leadership of the congregation where they have many close friends. Friends and colleagues appreciated Phillip’s extraordinary wit and intelligence and his insight into complex business and political puzzles. What few people knew was how often and how generously he helped others, even casual acquaintances, in need. He was unusually modest and quick to laugh at himself. He was a loving, faithful husband and encouraged his children by words and example to find work that was fun and fulfilling. Phillip is survived by his wife Carol, his son Steven (and son-in-law Eugene Sepulveda) of Austin, his son Craig (and daughter-in-law Delise) of Tulsa, and his granddaughters Hilary and Hannah. Also surviving are his brothers Sid Tomlinson of Twin Falls, Idaho, and Robert Tomlinson of Austin, and many brothers- and sisters-in-law, niece and nephews. A memorial service will be held this Saturday at 11am at the Northridge Church of Christ (1001 MacArthur Street, Shawnee). Anyone wishing to make a gift to the Shawnee Education Foundation in Phillip’s memory may write to SEF, PO Box 3521, Shawnee, Oklahoma 74802, or online at http://greatnonprofits.org/org/shawnee-educational-foundation.