[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Pages 15449-15450]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO PHIL ROBBINS

 Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I wish to remember the life of 
Philip Austin Robbins III, of Kodiak, AK.
  Phil was born on June 28, 1943, in Anacortes, WA, where he spent his 
youth. After graduating from high school, he set out on an adventure 
that would take him around the globe. With little money, Phil 
hitchhiked, took odd jobs, slept where he could find shelter, enjoyed 
the hospitality of strangers, and made many new friends, as he traveled 
through Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
  Upon returning home, Phil was drafted into service during the Vietnam 
war. As fate would have it, though, he was not sent to Vietnam but 
instead stationed in Heidelberg, Germany, where he worked as a code-
breaker in the U.S. Army.
  After serving in the Army, Phil lived for a few years in Makaha, HI. 
He attended the University of Hawaii in Honolulu, and married Lisa 
Gayle Tatsumi.
  Not long after this, Phil would embark on another adventure, moving 
with his wife and newborn son to Kodiak Island in Alaska. Here, the 
young family would live in a log cabin in the woods of Island Lake, and 
Phil would pursue a career as a commercial fisherman. It was a career 
that would span 40 years. During this time, Phil would see firsthand 
the boom and bust of the lucrative Kodiak king crab industry from the 
1960s to the early 1980s as well as the recordbreaking salmon prices of 
the late 1980s. He would participate in the cleanup efforts that 
followed the disastrous Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989 and the frantic 
derby-style halibut seasons that were phased out in the 1990s. Phil was 
one of the pioneers of the potcod fishery in Kodiak. Cod fishing had 
previously been dominated by large trawlers. Over the years, Phil saw 
fortunes made and friends perish in dangerous waters. He owned three 
fishing boats at different times during his career, all of which he 
named the ``Lisa Gayle'' after his wife.
  Phil had a tireless work ethic, a great sense of humor, and a warm 
heart. He was a modest man and the last to expect his life story would 
be told on the floor of the U.S. Senate. His bold spirit is emblematic 
of that of many Alaskans who come to our State with big dreams and a 
taste for adventure.
  Phil lost his battle to cancer earlier this month at the age of 65. 
He is survived by his loving wife Lisa and proud sons Philip Junior and 
Mark. Philip Junior is a computer engineer and Mark, a member of my 
staff.
  May you find calm seas and beautiful new horizons, Phil. You will be 
missed.

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