Phillip Vincent Scuderi, 74, passed peacefully April 14, 2019 in Carlsbad CA after his second battle with cancer.  Phil was born on December 15, 1944 in Chicago IL.

In his final days, Phil was surrounded by his Wife, 4 children and 7 grandchildren.  He is survived by Peg, his loving wife of 52 years, his children Phil, David, Kevin, and Becky, and his grandchildren Matt, Morgan, Jackson, Mia, Chloe, Vincent and Zoe.

Phil spent many years leading the Academic Computing of WSU and towards the latter part of his career, was asked by President Floyd to lead the Administrative Computing side of IT. Among many accomplishments, he was instrumental in gathering the technical requirements in preparation for the eventual contract with Oracle to replace myWSU.

Peg and Phil met at 15 years old and it was love at first sight.  They were an incredible team and supported each other throughout their lives.  Together through it all, Phil was the first in his family to graduate from college.  He and Peg truly raised their children together, sharing all the responsibilities and enjoyed it all.  They could be seen regularly cleaning and cooking together.  Phil was famous for his home made ravioli and his street walker vermicelli and his children will tell you that he was even more famous for his dish cleaning routine!  The dishwasher did not have "magic fingers" so dishes needed to be pre-rinsed and loaded in a specific way to maximize efficiency.

Everyone who knew Phil enjoyed his great sense of humor and dry wit.  He was very proud of his time in the Marine Corps and his College of Idaho football days and loved to tell stories about the antics of the cast of characters surrounding his youth.  Whether it was Rivenbark, Ollie or Butchie Bruno, nothing brought a smile to his face  faster than a story about them.  His grandchildren will also attest that he never missed an opportunity for a classic "Pop joke".

He had a strong passion for music, dancing and sport and always shared those with his family.  He hooked his children on the Beatles early in life and could always be seen tapping his foot to the rhythm (truth be known, it wasn't always exactly "on"rhythm ).  Peg and Phil could often be found dancing the night away- and it didn't matter if it was a formal ballroom, or the kitchen floor, they never took their eyes off each other, and they never missed a step. In his spare time, you could often find him on the practice green or the driving range, hitting a bucket of balls to perfect his "tiger like" swing.  When he wasn't hitting golf balls he could be found watching the US Open, or the Masters rooting for his favorite player and swing coach, Tiger Woods.  It's fitting, that just 10 minutes before his passing, Tiger Woods won the Masters.  His family was sure that he held on just a little bit longer to be sure that his all time favorite player prevailed.

Phil was deeply proud of his Sicilian heritage, developing a late in life passion for ancestory.com .  He gathered photos, spoke with relatives and spent countless hours researching and sharing with others.  Just like their yard and garden in Pullman, Phil believed that a tree was only as strong as its roots...and a family tree was no different.  In his last few months, he asked his oldest grandson Matt to carry on the quest to discover all he could about the Scuderi lineage, and continue to "water" the roots.

Phil was a dedicated father, and a devoted grandfather.  Affectionately known as "Poppy" to all his grandchildren, he taught the value of family, honesty, hard work, and most of all, unconditional love.  Pop was always a mainstay on the sidelines of his families sporting events, either as a coach, a mentor, or an adoring fan.  He and Peg would travel across the state and across the country to see their grandchildren perform, and that was no easy task.  Lacrosse games, surf contests, horse shows, soccer, baseball, football, basketball, ballet and theater...the event calendar for the Scuderi clan was packed, and they never missed.

In his own life, he was the definition of strength.  Physically, morally, and spiritually he was a pillar and never wavered.  He didn't drink, smoke or swear, he stood strong for his faith, and his  daily fitness routine was the stuff of legend.  He always walked it like he talked it. Cancer, however, doesn't reward you for those things, and doesn't give credit for a life lived.  Phil was taken way too soon, but even on his deathbed, at his weakest moment, he was the strongest man we knew.

Phil Scuderi lived a full life.  He loved without reservation, and he was loved immensely by all who knew him.  He will be forever missed.  Memories of him are plentiful and will be cherished and his spirit will be kept alive by all his loved ones.

The funeral mass will be celebrated on Monday, May 20th, 2019 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Pullman at 2:00 pm.  Burial following mass at Pullman City Cemetery.  A celebration of Phil's life will be held at Banyans on the Ridge Restaurant in Pullman for family and friends at 3:30 pm.  Kimball funeral home of Pullman is in charge of the arrangements.

If anyone would like to make a donation in Phil's memory, please donate to the local hospice in your community.