Our relative, Phillip Ammon, was born on December 8, 1936, and crossed over May 27, 2025. He is preceded in death by his mother, Ruth, and father, Chauncey LeRoy Ammon, Sr., and his brothers Wes, Les, Jubie, Junie, Toby and John. He had a special bonds with his niece and nephews who passed before him, They are Jack, Earl, Ronnie, LeeRoy, Robert, Kenny and Lynne Ammon.

He is survived by Paul, Dena (Bill), Frank (Marcell), Tom, Erick, Mike (Diane), Bonnie, Jim (Shelly), Shannon, Joe (Lottie), Tammy, Danny (Cassie) and Shelley (Devon) Smith as well as his great nephews and nieces and great-great nephews and nieces.

He was known around town as Phil but to those who loved him most, he was Uncle. Phillip Ammon was born in the old Indian Hospital on the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation. He was raised on South Fork and attended school in Salyer and Hoopa. He served in the US Army and was stationed in Germany during the Cold War. When he returned home from the service, he lived his life surrounded by his family, people and traditions. He was a proud member of the Tsnungwe Tribe.

He never married but lived with his widowed mother, Ruth, and then alone in the Ammon family home. He was a devoted son and family member. While he often had a gruff exterior, he had a good heart.

Phillip loved living alone and gathering those things that inspired him. He would surprise his nephews with his treasures. One time he opened the trunk of his car and offered shirts that he had bought and may never have even worn to his nephews. On his niece’s birthday, he baked her a birthday cake in a frying pan. He loved “going down the hill” to Willow Creek where he made his daily rounds visiting friends and going to his favorite places. He liked traveling in his Cadillac, Mustang, Corvette, a pickup or his big old sedan.

In his youth, Phil worked in the Forks Services Station. He and Floyd Fork remained life-long friends. When he went to work for the US Forest Service he became a third generation employee of the Forest Service. His grandfather, June Ammon, was hired in 1905 before the Forest Act in 1906 created our national forests. June worked in the Klamath Forest in the area from Salyer to Orleans on horseback. His son, Chan, also worked for the Forest Service as a packer and carried many supplies into remote areas for the agency. Phil worked for the Forest Service until his retirement in the 1980s.Like his grandparents and parents before him, Phillip remembered details about our homeland others never knew, like where the old Native trails are. He knew who lived where, when, and why family members joined the service and how life has changed on South Fork, our home. He was the last Ammon family member of his generation and knew he needed to pass his knowledge of the land, our family and fellow Tsnungwe to the next generation. Sometimes when asked about an event, a place or some detail, he would think about it for days until he figured it out and remembered to pass it along.

Although Phillip appeared to live a quiet life working at the Forest Service and living with his mother, he was a world traveler. He took cruises and road trips regularly. He took his mom and other elders on road trips to Oregon, Washington and Alaska. His favorite kind of traveling was going on cruises. He would make friends during the trips and say goodbye to them at the journey’s end without regret. He cruised in segments until he traveled around the world but rarely talked about his adventures. But he would surprise us all and dress as an Arab Sheik wearing garb from one of his cruises and go downtown on Halloween.

Our uncle lived a quiet and thoughtful life. He leaves behind many loved ones and his love for his family, culture and community. But we know he has been welcomed by those he loved most on the other side. Today, let us be happy and celebrate this welcome.

Thank you for your many acts of kindness and companionship to our uncle and the Ammon family members. And a special thanks Rob Mac and Gina Moon who helped us care for him in his later years.

Pallbearers: Lee, Roy, John Magdaleno, Jeramy, Lincoln, Emmett Chase, Jr., Grant, Thomas, Israel, Isiah, Randy, Jacob, Jared, PJ & Milo Smith, Gabel Ammon. Honorary Pallbearers: Wade, Paul, Frank, Tom, Erick, Mike, Jim, Joe, Danny Ammon and Rob Mac.

Graveside services will be on June 14, 2025, at 11 a.m. at the Ammon Family Cemetery on South Fork for family and friends.

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