OTTUMWA-Philip Eugene Overby, 92, of Ottumwa, passed away on January 22, 2025.
He was born in Ottumwa on December 14, 1932 to Lawrence and Ida Veline Overby. After graduating from Ottumwa High School, he married his childhood sweetheart, Arleta Rae Galey, also of Ottumwa, who preceded him in death in 2010.
Phil, as he was known to family, was a brilliant man who could have been an engineer or aviator, two lifelong passions, but he never attended college. Instead, he worked for the Iowa DOT as a Field Engineer for 30 years, leading a variety of projects including construction of the Wapello Street/Highway 63 bridge, known to his family as “Phil’s bridge”. He could be found driving under the bridge to check on it in the decades after it was built.
A jack of all trades, he spent his life learning how to do anything and everything: traveling the United States with his wife in the RV, hand-raising pet cockatiels, showing bloodhounds, painting landscapes, taking and developing photos, baking bread. He could always be found tinkering in his woodshop where he designed and built wooden instruments, furniture, the model planes he loved to fly and a beautiful mahogany-trimmed full-size shrimp boat. He even built a cabin at Lake Rathbun from the ground up. He was an avid reader, a collector of antiques, an expert angler and hunter, and a lover of nature, especially birds. He never met a challenge he couldn’t overcome, no puzzle or problem too big or complex.
Surviving are three of his children, David (Mac) of Lacke Havasu, AZ, Lynn (Ahn) of Portland, OR and Brenda of Altoona; his three grandchildren, Curtis of Ottumwa, Breanna (Reid) of Altoona and Tiffany of Hominy, OK; a great-grandson, Rory of Altoona.
He was preceded in death by his oldest son, Steven in 2023.
His body has been cremated. A humble and stubborn man, he did not want ay formal service or flowers.
Memorial donations can be made to Hospice Serving Davis and Wapello Counties.
Reece Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
