J. Engle Obituary

J. Phillip "Phil" Engle

J. Phillip "Phil" Engle, 91, died peacefully Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in Tiffin, Ohio. He was born January 29, 1935, at his family's farmhouse in Seneca County. Phil rose from very humble beginnings to spend over five decades serving the families of Seneca County and Tiffin as a funeral director and embalmer.

When Phil was 16, he met Adams A. Turner, owner of Turner Funeral Home, while Adams was outside raking leaves. Adams hired him, and the chance encounter led Phil to find his calling as a funeral director and eventually to become the owner of Turner-Engle Funeral Home. It also led to his marriage to Sylvia Rayella Engle, Adams' daughter, May 9, 1959. Phil was a graduate of Tiffin Public Schools, Bowling Green University, and Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science.

Phil was deeply devoted to preserving his community's history and was always active in civic and fraternal organizations, projects, service groups, educational committees, and historical groups. Phil founded and served as chairman of Tiffin-Seneca County Heritage Festival in 1979 and Tiffin Heritage Living History Village in 1990. He is a past president and trustee of Seneca County Convention and Visitors Bureau. His favorite pastime was providing historical and patriotic school programs for the students of Seneca County. His efforts made a lasting impact in Seneca County; in 1993, he was named Citizen of the Year by Tiffin Area Chamber of Commerce, and he also received numerous honors from the Ohio Association of Historical Societies and Museums for his dedicated work.

Phil was a professional and personal role model to many people over the years, but he was truly a friend to everyone he met. He was active in Demolay and served as Worthy Patron in the Tiffin Masonic Chapter. He enjoyed family gatherings, snow skiing in Colorado, and spending time in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina and Gatlinburg, Tennessee. He also proudly represented his country by serving in the United States Army as a tank driver.

He is survived by his children, Matthew (Susan) Engle, Adams (Stephanie) Engle, and Kimberly (Patrick) Griffin; grandchildren, Tyler (Maggie) Griffin, Taylor (Dawson) Riley, Turner (Summer) Engle, Carson (Emily) Engle, Riley (Emily) Engle, Arielle Engle, Abby (Eric) Herman, and Andrew Engle; special friend and companion of 12 years, Chris Moore; great-grandchildren, Phillip, Carter, Vivian, Carina, Myles, Maci, and Warner; sister-in-law, Pari Carter; and many nieces, nephews, and stepgrandchildren.

Phil was preceded in death by his parents, William Rueben Engle and Hazel Margaret Kern; his wife of 54 years, Sylvia Rayella Turner Engle; his brother, Maurice Eugene Engle; and his sister, Margaret Justine McCormick.

The Engle family would like to thank the nurses and staff of Southern Care Hospice for their kindness in making Phil's last days more comfortable.

Graveside services for Phil will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 16, 2026, at Greenlawn Cemetery, Tiffin.

Memorial contribu-tions may be made to Tiffin Historic Trust or First Lutheran Church in Tiffin, organizations that were close to Phil's heart.

Condolences may be left for family at www.egan-ryan.com