Obituary: Phil Jensen

Phil was a very big car enthusiast. His first car was a 1941 Plymouth club coupe. He worked all summer of his sophomore year to earn the $450 it cost. Once he bought it, he “customized” it by taking off the hood ornament and trunk handle, and replacing the taillights with ’51 Pontiac tail lights, lowering it a couple of inches, putting dual “smitty’s” on it and painting it sea-foam blue/green. He was very proud of that car and it sparked a passion that remained for the rest of his life.

In 1954, immediately after high school graduation, Phil joined the Navy and was initially stationed in San Diego for a 13 week boot camp. Because of his high scores in the various tests he was given, he was promoted to “Company Commander,” a job he said he was not very good at. (“Too much discipline and responsibility, so they fired me.") His last four weeks he was made the “Brigade Commander" — in his words, “A lofty position that meant nothing except that I could march in time and was snappy with the sword they gave me.” After boot camp, Phil was transferred to Treasure Island (San Francisco) and was assigned to the main electronics school there on TI. He graduated at the top of his class from electronics school in 1957.

During his time in the navy, he married Mary Katherine (Kae) Henderson, his high school sweetheart. Together, they had three children, Roger Philip (b. 1955), Vikki Lynn (b. 1956), and Jakki Renee (b. 1959).

In 1957, after his three year stint in the navy, Phil and family moved to Eugene, Ore., where he enrolled in the University of Oregon. There he was a member of Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI) along with fraternity brother Phil Knight. Phil majored in economics with a minor in religion and philosophy.

After graduation from U of O, at the age of 24, Phil and his family moved to Hood River, where he joined the family business, Luhr Jensen and Sons. His “office” was behind the main cement building on west May street — basically, an old semi truck body that was fashioned into a work space. There he started putting together a national sales force and designing new and more modern catalogs for the company.

Over the years, and under the leadership of Phil, brother David, and brother Luhr Jr., the company expanded from just a handful of employees to up to 400 employees, which included the creation of a meat smoker business in 1968, “Little Chief Smokers,” that featured a line of smokers that used various fruit wood chips and was quickly recognized as the original smoker for serious fishermen who smoked their catches of salmon, trout, and steelhead. The company continued to grow steadily from its inception in 1932 to its sale in 2005, constantly testing and introducing new products along with 40 acquisitions of other U.S. tackle companies fueled growth through the later years. The History Museum of Hood River County houses an installation that highlights the early years, the years of growth, and tells the stories or Luhr Jensen and all the wonderful companies that joined the Luhr Jensen family to become “The Legends of Luhr Jensen,” including Les Davis, Grizzly, Glen L. Evans, Lucky Lady, Andy Reeker, Tom Mac, Abe’n Al, Herring Magic, Eddie Pope, and more.

Phil married Judy Spellecy, whom he was introduced to by a mutual friend, Lavonne, while she was living in the Las Vegas, Nev. She soon relocated to Hood River and they began their life journey together for the next 30 years.

Phil was known for his outgoing, gregarious, adventurous, and high-spirited personality. He was deeply committed to his family and made many outstanding contributions to his community. Phil was a founding member and on the board of the Oregon Wildlife Heritage Foundation, a national board member of Trout Unlimited, a board member of the American Sportsfishing Association (ASA), chairman of the Northwest Sportsfishing Industry Association, an associate member of Pacific Rivers Council, a supporting member of both the Northwest Steelheaders Association and the Isaac Walton League, and an honorary member of the National Fishing Lures Collectors Club. He was also a board member of the History Museum of Hood River County and created the permanent Luhr Jensen exhibit that is housed there. He was also an active member of the Hood River Elks Lodge and the local Lion’s Club.

Phil's adventurous side loved to travel and he enjoyed his trips to Spain, China, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Germany, Mexico, England, Brazil, and more. A few of his favorite trips included a trip to the Canary Islands with his wife Judy, where he was able to fish the Atlantic and where he caught his biggest fish ever, a road trip in an old RV to the southernmost tip of Baja and back from Hood River with his daughter Jakki (including 3,000 miles of “bad road”), and numerous fishing trips on the Amazon in Brazil to fish for peacock bass.

Phil was a natural and avid athlete and his hobbies included fishing, waterskiing, snowskiing, tennis, running, and racquetball. He ran the Hood to Coast in Oregon for years, and he also ran in the Bay to Breakers in San Francisco.

Phil had a lifelong passion for automobiles. Throughout his life, he owned and collected more than 100 vehicles, many of them classics. He was a supporter and donor to the Western Aeroplane and Automobile Museum (WAAAM) in Hood River.

Phil lived an amazing, full, and remarkable life. He will be remembered for his generosity, fun, sparkling personality, his generosity of spirit and his empathy and kindness for his fellow human being.

Phil is survived by his wife, Judy; son Roger (Devie) of Yuma City, Ariz.; daughter Vikki Claflin (Kenny) of Hood River; daughter Jakki Jensen (Tom) of Portland, Ore.; son Steven Kirk (Marianna) of Beaufort, S.C.;, grandson Jake Jensen (Sandra) of Waco, Texas; granddaughter Jennifer Jensen of Champaign, Ill.; and granddaughter Olivia Kirk of Beaufort.

A reception and celebration of Phil’s life is planned for 1 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 9 at Anderson’s Tribute Center. In lieu of flowers, donations in Phil’s name can be made to The Next Door or Hood River Memorial Hospital Foundation Sunshine Club, c/o Anderson’s Tribute Center, 1401 Belmont Drive, Hood River, OR 97031. Visit www.AndersonsTributeCenter.com to leave a note of condolence for the family.