Philip Kimball Obituary

Philip Kimball

Philip Kimball, son of Leslie Kimball and Eula Marjorie (Fry) Kimball, died on September 20, 2014, surrounded by family. He was born at home in Piedmont, OK on July 21, 1941, at 104º, his lifelong favorite temperature. The family moved to Hilltop Manor in Wichita and then to Derby, KS where he graduated from high school in 1959. He was Phi Beta Kappa at the University of Kansas, a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Heidelberg, a Woodrow Wilson Fellow at the University of California at Berkeley, and a graduate student at Stanford. He taught at Spelman College in Atlanta, GA and the University of Bonn, Germany. He married Jennifer Brown in Boston, MA in 1982.

Philip was a storyteller and a poet, capturing the tales of the prairie in two published novels (Harvesting Ballads and Liar's Moon) and sonnets in The Coal City Review. He supported himself at various jobs including at Heinold Junior High in Cincinnati, in a Michigan fiberglass factory, as a security guard, at a Wichita soybean crushing mill, in the Boston Public Schools, as an attendant at Harvard's Museum of Comparative Zoology, as a school bus driver, and ten years as a picture framer at Artframes in Lawrence. The job he was most proud of was father of Corinna and Lauren. He became headmaster of Wiseacre Academy, his daughter's home school.

Survivors include his wife, Jennifer Brown (Lawrence); two daughters, Corinna Kimball-Brown (Portland, OR) and Lauren Kimball-Brown (Quincy, MA); two brothers, Alan (Eugene, OR) and Steven with sister-in-law Sally (Belle Plaine, KS); two aunts, Lois Bestgen and Willa Gill with uncle J.Gene, and many nieces and nephews.

The family gives thanks for the perceptive diagnosis and compassionate care by Dr. Matthew Stein and LMH Oncology staff, Drs. Gilroy and Hajdu, LMH staff and Douglas County Visiting Nurses Hospice Care. Donations may be given to The Grassland Heritage Foundation, Social Service League, or Douglas County Visiting Nurses Hospice Care.

A memorial gathering will be held on October 25, 2014, at 3:00 pm at the Carnegie Building in Lawrence KS.

Please sign this guestbook at Obituaries.LJWorld.com.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Lawrence Journal-World on Sep. 25, 2014.

Memories and Condolences
for Philip Kimball

11 Entries

Arthur Leland Cunningham

December 20, 2023

At 82, walking up a steep hill here in the Wisconsin Kettle Moraine area (Delafield) a memory of my childhood (a cub scout den my mother hosted) BEST FRIEND Philip came to mind. Then many, like competing with each other in drawing/narrating comic book panels--ala Steve Canyon and etc. I found this Obituary. I am deeply saddened for this loss to the world and his family/friends. His move to Derby would end our nexus. Once, by accident, I found him in Lawrence in the 90's when he was living on the other side of a fence from the motel when we visited a son at KU in Lawrence. He gifted me "Harvest Ballad."
Philip's father Leslie was a hoot too real enjoyable character--as the photos show. Mother was a doll. Philip had fun with an accordian... Alan a cool dude also. Philip had creativity few people could or will ever match.

Judy (McCarty) Phillips

October 25, 2014

I will remember Philip during high school and coming to parties at our house. When you got Philip and Bill Showers together you never knew what would happen. Great minds!

Philip Kimball alias Professor Higgins,1964

Walter Sauer

October 17, 2014

My sincere condolences, Jennifer and family. Here are happy photographic memories of Philip (and myself) acting in G.B. Shaw's PYGMALION performed by the Dramatic Society of the English Department at Heidelberg University, Germany in January 1964.

Hank Van Arsdale

October 14, 2014

Philip & I had many classes together at DHS, we went on the harvest and started college together. He was a great person to have around when we were trapped in a small trailer while it rained for a few days in Hoxie, KS.

David Hann

October 8, 2014

I always enjoyed being around Philip, listening to his stories and his harmonica playing. I'll miss you, Philip, but I am sure glad I knew you.

Heide Miersch-Maltry

October 2, 2014

We remember a great friend, who shared years of our lives as students at Heidelberg University and a phantastic actor in performances of the English Drama Group.
His ironic way of looking at things and his bohemian attitude were inspiration to many of us. We loved his storytelling and his laugh was infectious.
Walter Sauer, Hilu Petry, Mike Nentwich, Wolfgang Kaul, Eike Schmitz, Ekkehard Miersch, Ruth Harrison-Green

Ron and Ann Hendel

October 1, 2014

Philip was a wonderful friend, an inspiring mentor, and an astonishingly talented teller of lies. He will live on in his family, friends, and his amazing books. The world lost a great one. He will be missed.

Lori Cackler

September 29, 2014

I was so sorry to read of your loss. Jennifer, you and the girls are a testament to Philip's well lived life. I am hoping you will find comfort in your joyful memories.

Mark Chance

September 27, 2014

So sorry for your loss...I will always have fond memories of Phil!

Greg Hunsaker

September 26, 2014

Despite his many accomplishments, Philip never seemed to take himself too seriously, referring to himself as an "arteest." We had one of his woodblock prints hanging in the kitchen at the farm.

I recall once observing to Philip that he sounded like Arlo Guthrie. "I have an Oklahoma accent because I was born in Oklahoma. Arlo was born in New York City!"

Elizabeth Laufer

September 25, 2014

Everyone across the alley will miss you very much and Emmet especially will miss his "Bread Man". Love to all of you.

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