12/06/2020
Philip “Phil” A. Birk III, 83, of Middle Amana, Iowa, passed away at The Gardens of Cedar Rapids on December 6, 2020, from complications of COVID-19. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Arrangements by Murdoch-Linwood Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Cedar Rapids.
Phil was born February 18, 1937, in Knoxville, Iowa, the son of Philip Birk II and Genevieve Birk. On May 30, 1957, he was united in marriage to Beverly Plattner.
Phil loved trains and collecting railroad memorabilia. He also loved to read, with Mark Twain being one of his favorites. Phil had an obsession with ancestry and his German roots and loved to visit Germany. If you knew Phil you knew how passionate he was about his family and his hobbies.
Phil is survived by daughters, Laurie (Tom) Picha of Oswego, Illinois, Joyce (Gregg) Lungstrom of Woodford, Virginia, and Jessica (Erik) Emerson of Amana, Iowa; his younger sister, Diane (Fred) Schoneboom of Plainwell, Michigan; nine grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and his nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Beverly, who departed December 10, 2018; his parents; and his brother, James Birk.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Safe Haven in South Amana, their favorite animal rescue.