We lost an everyday hero. On Thursday, May 14th, the world lost a hero, Phil Vogel. Phil was born to Henry and Jeanne Vogel in Eureka on June 8, 1947. He was an unassuming man who touched the lives of many and made a difference for the better to each person he met. Anyone could feel comfortable and talk to Phil because he made people feel heard and valued.

Phil always advocated for his clients from working as a juvenile hall counselor in the late 1980s, to working as the coordinator for the Dad’s program at the old Humboldt Child Care Council in the late 1990s, to working at Pomo Elementary School in Lake County and the Malheur Educational Department in Oregon, to General Hospital Rehab, to working at Grant School as a speech therapist and his passion of being a self employed pediatric speech therapist working with children and parents in their homes.

Phil always advocated and wanted the best possible outcomes for all those he guided. He was the pied piper of children who loved him because he gently guided them with fun to move them forward. Phil graduated from St. Bernard’s High School in Eureka, in 1965 and attended HSU for a Bachelors Degree majoring in Social Work with a minor in psychology, and then later returned to get his Masters in Speech Therapy. He also studied at Oregon State to strengthen his skills in speech therapy.

He is survived by his wife, Sandy of 46 years, his daughter, Meghan Wright and husband, Mark of Bayside, his grandchildren, Audrey and William of Bayside and grandson by heart, Sherm Wright of Florida;, his sister, Karen and her husband, Herb Zeck of Eureka and his brother, Chris and his wife Kathy Vogel, his nieces and nephews, Brad Vogel, Kevin Walker, Amber Shaver, Karie Varner and Brian and Michael Zeck and numerous great nieces and nephews. He is also survived by his special friends, Charles and Nancy McPartland and Niel Mikulenka.

Maybe, not all heroes wear capes and an everyday man sometimes feels miscellaneous; but, Phil always wore a cape in the eyes of the people who knew him best and loved him.

If you like, you can send donations to St Jude’s Children’s Hospital, his favorite charity in his name. There will be a celebration of life when the coronavirus allows safe gatherings for close friends and family at his sister, Karen’s home.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Phil Vogel’s family. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.