Keelan Samuel Phillips

Keelan Samuel Phillips, 31, of Missoula and Lewistown, died Friday, February 9th, 2024 at his apartment in Missoula. He was born on Sunday, December 6th, 1992 in Lewistown. Keelan is the son of Michael and Debbie (Murphy) Phillips of Billings and the brother of Dani Phillips of Lewistown.

Keelan has been described as loving, big-hearted, loyal, mischievous, and sunshine. He was known for his infectious laugh and smile. He had empathy for other people.

Keelan started playing baseball at a young age, coached by his dad. He started doing travel basketball in 5th grade and formed lifelong relationships with his friends. He passionately enjoyed sports his entire life, including paintball, baseball, football, and basketball. Keelan played basketball for the Fergus Eagles in high school.

He had a taste for adventure and loved the family trips to Disneyland when he was younger, to Oregon to see his sister in college, to Canada and Florida with the Parry Family, to New York, the Tetons, Hawaii, Arizona, South Dakota, and more with friends. Keelan also claimed to be “revived” by the outdoors and loved docks and water! He loved to be on a boat or the shore of a lake or river. This was one of the reasons he liked Missoula as he was close to lakes and to Glacier National Park.

Keelan wholeheartedly enjoyed finding work and passion inside jobs. In the 4th grade, he started delivering newspapers to over 200 people. He would quickly drop his bundle of papers to help people inside their houses with bags of groceries and more. In adulthood, Keelan started his own music DJ’ing business where he facilitated the playlists and music at proms, homecomings, and weddings. If Keelan had it his way, and had all the time in the world, he would have played the music at EVERY friend’s wedding.

Keelan LOVED his friends and their awesome friend group. When he was young, he was always with friends or the neighbor kids on trampolines, playing sports, Nintendo, and finding adventures. He had gratitude for the great friends of his life. When some of his friends started families, he adored their kids. Keelan loved his family and was good at expressing this in cards on birthdays and holidays. He loved all four grandparents, his Aunts and Uncles, his cousins, too. He always remembered getting his first deer and learning how to shoot a gun well with his uncles, Dusty, and Justin. He frequently said he wished to visit Lewistown, Roy, and Billings more often to visit his family and friends.

Keelan battled with Alopecia, making him wrestle with confidence and self-esteem. Though, he typically found ways to find humor and fun from life regardless. Keelan was a prankster. He was involved in a large senior prank his senior year and was usually up to tossing some mischief around. He liked a good laugh with friends and his laugh could be pointed out miles away. And, again, he was known for his laugh and smile. He will be greatly missed.

Keelan attended school in Lewistown and graduated from Fergus High School in 2011. He then attended MSU Billings and received his B.S. in Business with a Computer IT Certificate. Right after graduating, he worked for two banks in Billings and got to coach 5th and 6th Grade Basketball. He always wanted to coach again. He moved to Missoula in 2020 to work as the IT Computer specialist for Cognizant until the time of his death.

Keelan was preceded in death by his maternal and paternal grandparents and one Uncle, Danny Murphy, who died at 16 as a result of a car accident on Palm Sunday.

He is survived by his parents Mike and Debbie Phillips of Billings, one sister Dani Phillips of Lewistown, Aunts and Uncles, Kim and Chris Phillips, Todd and Nancy Phillips, Justin Murphy, and Dustin and Chrystal Murphy, cousins Kacey Phillips Aanenson and family, Koley Phillips Tadvick and family, Landon Phillips and family, and Dean Owens, Kit Bonine and JD Murphy. He also appreciated the family connections with second and third cousins, and Great Aunts and Uncles, and all relatives.

Memorial Services for Keelan S. Phillips will be on Saturday, March 23rd, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. in the Fergus High Center for the Performing Arts with a reception to follow at the Yogo Inn. Cremation has taken place with the Cloyd Funeral Home assisting the family.

Friends are asked to make memorials to Saving Animals from Euthanasia (SAFE) in Lewistown, the Lewistown Civic Center, or to a High School program where student’s stories are made to be an uplifting subject through a project called “Unreserved”, which his sister endorses, or the charity of your choice and they may be left with the Cloyd Funeral Home.

Condolences for the family may be posted online at www.cloydfuneralhome.com.