Phillip Eugene Monfort

Phillip Eugene Monfort passed away on July 3, 2026, after 102 years of full and fruitful living. Born on October 17, 1923, in Iola, Kansas, to Earl Monfort and Winnie Remsberg Monfort on his parents' birthdays, he was the youngest of 9 children. An inventor, adventurer, and entrepreneur, he moved to Waitsburg in 1947 before an administrative error recalled him to Korea.

As a young man, Phillip worked in a war-defense plant before being drafted into the Army Air Corps.  He eventually bought his own plane and flew throughout the States, creating friends and experiences along the way. While in Florida, Phil encountered Moral Re-Armament (now Initiatives of Change). He came to a true faith in Christ through their work and was challenged to live out his life to the standards of absolute honesty, absolute purity, absolute unselfishness, and absolute love, which are fulfilled in the work of Christ. It was through MRA that he developed the daily practice of waking early to pray and listen for the guidance from the Holy Spirit speaking into his life. He wrote down these thoughts daily in a notebook.

Keen to share his passions with others, Phillip would happily talk about Christ's mercy towards him, six days of creation, ponies, trains, farming, and interracial harmony with anyone willing to listen. Prior to the Internet, he kept his own library of books, articles, and films, which he believed important, and shared them liberally with others. He lived boldly yet modestly, touched many, and will be greatly missed.

He is preceded in death by his parents and his eight siblings. Phillip is survived by his wife, Jeanetta; their two daughters, Margaret Shultz (Jeremy) and Sarah Torrens (Alister); and four grandchildren: Evelyn Grace and Isaiah Franklin Shultz, and Saphira Alexandra and Thaddaeus Phillip Torrens; and many nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life will be held at the Waitsburg Presbyterian Church on August 1, 2026, at 10:00 AM and will be streamed; see the online obituary at https://www.herringgroseclose.com for the link prior to the service.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Initiatives of Change or Answers in Genesis through the Herring Groseclose Funeral Home, 315 W Alder St, Walla Walla, WA 99362. Friends and family are invited to sign the online guestbook at http://www.herringgroseclose.com.