Philip Bruce Fow, Jr., of Fernley, passed away on Thursday, July 10, 2025, in Reno, Nevada, after a brief battle with cancer.
He was born on Oct. 30, 1961, in Torrance, California, to Bruce and Marilyn Fow, and was joined by his little sister, Chrissy, two years later. He grew up in Torrance, Norwalk, and La Mirada, California, and his family continued to change and grow, with his stepmother, Rita, and stepsister, Becky.
The family traveled extensively, locally and abroad. Many weekends, they took their friends and their boat to the Long Beach Marina or Lake Elsinore. Phil was an expert water-skier, having fallen in love with the sport at a young age. His sister Becky would drive the boat while Phil slalomed across the wakes on his single ski — and occasionally tease him about seeing the great white shark, even in freshwater lakes, after the family watched the movie “Jaws” together in 1975.
He joined the Boy Scouts in 1972, with Rita as his “den mother” and Scoutmaster Dexter Phipps in Troop 981 and earned Eagle Scout in 1977 with Scoutmaster Don Spain in Troop 803 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Santa Fe Springs Ward.
He shared his father’s interest in cars, repairing and tinkering on his many vehicles throughout his life. One of his great joys was driving his 1965 Mustang convertible, which had belonged to his father, and “Greenie,” the 1967 Mustang fastback he rebuilt over the years. His love of Ford vehicles extended to the Explorer sport utility: Gator, where he swapped out the automatic transmission for manual; and Babe, the Big Blue Ox, whose engine was awaiting a rebuild.
Phil could repair or build anything, having learned from his father as his family worked on their homes and rental properties. He was a hands-on repairperson from an early age, building and fixing every element of a home inside and out, from the roof to its foundation, as well as landscaping, for his family and friends.
At John Glenn High School in Norwalk, he was active in the ROTC and, in his senior year, in cross-country running. He graduated with the Class of 1979.
He joined the U.S. Navy in 1979 and served as the interior communications electrician on the nuclear submarine USS Benjamin Franklin (SSBN-640), which shared the name of his paternal grandfather, Benjamin Franklin Fow.
In 1991, he left the Navy and began a career in construction. Among his projects were the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland (keep an eye on the snakes!); the haunted Luxor Casino in Las Vegas; and the Atlantis Casino skybridge. During his career, he received numerous awards, including the Caesars Founders Award, which honors exemplary team members.
His greatest joy in life was being a father to his four children: Philip, Kat, Eric, and Sarah. He built their childhood home with his own hands. He enjoyed his Del Taco outings as a foodie with his children at every opportunity. He spent many hours repairing and rebuilding cars with Kat and landscaping Sarah’s home. He was devoted to Bun-Bun, the family bunny.
Phil was preceded in death by his parents, Philip Bruce Fow and Marilyn Finger Fow, and his stepmother, Rita Cecilia Fow.
He is survived by his four children: Philip, Katherine (Kat), and Eric, of Reno, Nevada; and Sarah Fow Baker and her husband, Russell Baker, of Fernley, Nevada. He also is survived by his siblings, Christine Fow Cohen (Chris) and her husband, David Cohen, in Fairfax, Virginia; and Rebecca Grable Bible (Becky) and her husband, Dale Bible, in Magnolia, Texas.
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on July 25, 2025, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 155 U.S. 95 Alternate, Fernley, Nevada. Burial and military funeral honors will be held at 12:30 p.m. on July 25, 2025, at the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 14 Veterans Way, Fernley, Nevada. A luncheon will follow the burial.
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