Philip Erwin Cormier, 82, was booked at The Great Gig in the Sky on June 16, 2015, in Duluth MN, with his family at his side.
He was born to Erwin "Erv" P. and Weda S. (Mattson) Cormier on Nov. 1, 1932, in Wakefield, Mich. The baby of the family, he was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters, Meryle and Adele; a brother, James; and a daughter-in-law, Eileen Rohmer.
A lifelong resident of Wakefield, Phil attended Wakefield Public Schools and graduated in 1950.
Phil reported for active duty in the U.S. Army in July 1956 and received his honorable discharge in July 1962.
He was very active in various musical activities throughout his life and was known most notably for his wonderful swing (touch, feel) on the drums.
Phil married the former Alice M. Oja in 1961. She survives.
Phil was the co-owner/operator of Cormier's Service which offered various services throughout the years such as taxicab, ambulance, wrecker, buses, gas station, tire repair, bus storage, auto and truck repair, and lunchtime live music jams, along with other activities.
Practically everyone in Wakefield from that era has a story or two about "Phil and the cab," "Phil and the wrecker", "Phil and the ambulance," "Phil and the station," or "Phil and his drums." He certainly touched a lot of people's lives.
Phil always seemed to have "that smile" and a positive attitude.
After closing the station in the mid 1980's he continued his service career as a parts man at Gogebic Auto/Northwestern Auto in Bessemer until his retirement.
Upon retiring he was given the opportunity to enjoy time with all of his grandchildren whom he loved so much. The grandchildren all have stories of "jammin' in grandpa's van" or just cruising to get coffee and dippings.
Phil is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Alice; his three sons, Chris (Marion) of Hendersonville, N.C ., Dave (Joy) of Wakefield, and Keith of Oakland, Calif .; and a daughter, Alisa (Rich) Roberts of Davenport, Fla. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Adam Cormier, Hannah and Sarah Cormier, James, Dylan and Dakota Alexandroni, Caitlyn and Brynna Roberts; and numerous nieces and nephews.
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| PhilE ragin' in the 1950's |
We sent PhilE on his way last Monday. The setup was perfect, the service was exactly right, and the fellowship afterwards was filled with good times and remembrances. We've been overwhelmed with heartfelt condolences, thank you to all.
We set up PhilE's drums at the church, displaying his wonderfully road-worn drum cases behind the kit. His body was cremated, and in celebrating his life with a more upbeat tone, we wanted to have an urn that offered a bit of a twist from a typical urn. My family thought it would be sweet to use a drum, and it occurred to us that using a Ludwig drum with the same unique finish as his drumkit would be appropriate. Finding a drum was potentially a tall order, but everything worked out as if PhilE was shopping for us. I started frantically calling around the Bay Area to see if I could locate a drum locally that fit the bill while Chris simultaneously scoured Craigslist out in North Carolina. Long story short- Chris immediately found a guy that had the PERFECT drum for sale, but he was selling a complete kit. We were worried that the seller wouldn't break up his kit and sell us just one tom-tom (which is typically a "no no" when you're selling a drumkit) but lo and behold he was very willing. Total score! It's a vintage Ludwig tom from 1969 in the exact "Black Diamond Pearl" finish as PhilE's kit. I've done a little more research on PhilE's kit and learned that it was made between 1948 and 1952. (It's kind of a big deal- they're in great shape...the vintage drum aficionados would drooooool....).
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As we've been looking through many old photos from back in the day showing PhilE playing in various bands, it's amazing to see those very same drums....a thread of continuity from his musical life. I'm happy that we have that tangible reminder of his musical wanderings, and we felt it was appropriate to showcase the kit at his funeral.
A common theme running throughout all the nice condolences folks have shared revolves around how PhilE was always ready to help. He was involved with the station throughout the majority of his life and, this being such a small town, that sweet man had a huge positive impact on many many lives. As stated in the wonderful obituary that Dave wrote; Practically everyone in Wakefield from that era has a story or two about "Phil and the cab", "Phil and the wrecker", "Phil and the ambulance", "Phil and the station", or "Phil and his drums".
PhilE was always quick to help, always ready to go an extra mile (or two) to help someone out. With that theme of "service" in mind, my brothers and I decided to honor PhilE at the funeral by wearing matching service station uniforms. We still had some old Standard Oil patches and name tags at the house...a perfect finishing touch. It was a great idea and I think that everyone "got it".
Friends, if you'd like to help out, we've set up a fund earmarked for the Music Department at the high school. Things are tight up here in the U.P. so every little bit truly helps. We hope that the fund can honor my Dad's legacy far into the future.
Contributions may be made in Phil Cormier's memory to:
Wakefield-Marenisco School Music Department
715 Putnam Street
Wakefield MI 49968
We really appreciate it, thank you!
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