Kern County CA Obituary Project Obituaries.....Dunford Jr., Phillips Albert July 2004
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K Taylor bluewolf@onemain.com July 21, 2004, 5:16 pm

The Bakersfield Californian 
Phillips Albert Dunford Jr. MD
Born February 23, 1919, to Phillips Albert Dunford, Sr., and Lucy Gerda 
Rothwell Dunford in Long Beach, CA, as a child he lived in San Francisco, San 
Jose, Oakland, and Button-willow. He graduated from Kern County Union High 
School (now Bakersfield High School) in 1936. He graduated from UC Berkeley in 
1940, and from UCSF Medical School in 1943. During a one-year internship at 
Alameda County Hospital, he met his future wife, Ruth Vivian Littlefield, of 
Iowa, who was also an intern. They were married on October 23, 1943.


During World War II he served in the Pacific Theater as a Lieutenant in the 
U.S. Navy in the Medical Corps, taking part in amphibious landings on various 
islands including Iwo Jima and Okinawa. In 1946, Dr. Phil and Dr. Ruth (as 
they came to be known) moved to Bakersfield, where they established a private 
practice in general (family) medicine on the corner of Bernard and Baker 
Street, where they remained 37 years, retiring in 1984. In 1950, the Navy 
reactivated Dr. Phil for the Korean War and Dr. Ruth took over the medical 
practice while rearing their four children. Following his return they were 
blessed with five more children. All nine of their children graduated from 
college, seven in the field of healthcare and two in engineering fields. In 
1966, Dr. Phil was recognized as Father of the Year by the Bakersfield Chapter 
of the National Fathers Day Committee.


During his career, he was active on the medical staffs at Mercy, Memorial and 
San Joaquin hospitals. He was a longtime member of the American Medical 
Association, California Medical Association, and the Kern County Medical 
Society. In 1984, he and Dr. Ruth were recognized as Outstanding Physicians of 
the Year by the latter, and in 1997, he completed editing the annals of the 
same, The Kern County Medical Society: The First 100 Years.


Dr. Phil and his family were faithful members of St. Joseph Catholic Church, 
where he sang in the choir. He was active in the St. Vincent de Paul Society, 
and chaired the construction committee for the store and service building 
completed in 1959 on Bakersfield Street. In commemoration, he designed and 
sculpted the bas-relief of St. Vincent de Paul and the child that graces the 
exterior of the building today. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus 
Council 977, serving in several offices and heading the building committee for 
the K of C hall on Goodman Street. He was an avid supporter of Garces Memorial 
High School, educating nine children there, and played a role in keeping its 
doors open. Many charities benefited from his generosity.


He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Ruth and son, Dennis. He is 
survived by his sister and brother-in-law, Sybil and Herbert York of La Jolla, 
and children and spouses, Kathleen and Carl Guilford of Bakersfield, Michael 
Dunford of Oceanside, Dr. Gregory and Marie Dunford of Kingsburg, Ronald and 
Pamela Swisher of Oregon, Stephen and Mary Dunford of Massachusetts, Dr. 
Christopher Dunford and Renee Sugasawara of Maryland, Timothy and Diane 
Dunford of Idaho, John and Rita McNeal of Alaska, fourteen grandchildren, one 
great-grandchild and numerous nieces and nephews.


Dr. Phil will be missed not only by his family, but also by many former 
patients and friends. The family wishes to thank Carmen Rollins and her family 
for the years of compassionate care and the staffs of Mercy Hospital and 
Columbus Estates. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Catholic 
Charities, 525 18th Street, Bakersfield, CA 93301, Friends of Mercy 
Foundation, P.O. Box 119, Bakersfield, CA 93302 or the charity of the donors 
choice.


Visitation will be held on Thursday, July 22, from 2 p.m. until 8 p.m. with 
the Rosary being recited at 7:00 p.m. at Hopson-Anspach Family Mortuary, 
Bakersfield. The Mass of the Christian Burial will be said at 10:00 a.m. on 
Friday, July 23, 2004, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 1515 Baker Street. 
Burial will follow at Greenlawn Cemetery, River Blvd.

Hopson-Anspach Family Mortuary, Bakersfield 


Additional Comments:
Volunteer submission - No relation to deceased.

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