Philip Rolf Syrdal

On April 25, 2025, Philip Rolf Syrdal took his last breath at his home in Palm Desert, California. His partner, Marcia Blumstein, was with him, along with his youngest son, Danny, and grandson, Noah. He was 81. Diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2016, Phil outlived his original prognosis of three and a half years, stretching it to nine. His indomitable spirit and childlike love of life helped make this possible.

Phil, the oldest of two boys, was born on December 11, 1943, and raised in the small town of Wapato, Washington. He was the son of Philip R. Syrdal, a local school superintendent, and Hildamay Hobart, a high school French teacher. Phil grew up during a simple, almost innocent time, when a youngster’s life revolved around hanging out with friends at the local Dairy Queen, enjoying athletics, and cruising the main drag, tossing water balloons out of car windows at anything and everything along the way.

He graduated from Wapato High School in 1961, excelling in tennis and other sports, acting in two school plays, and earning a reputation as “the smartest guy in every class,” according to friends. Known for his good looks and perpetual smile, Phil was also younger than his classmates, having skipped a grade early in his schooling. His intellectual acumen became a defining trait throughout his life—he could absorb any new subject like a sponge and share it back with the clarity and authority of a college professor. A close schoolmate remembered him as “always running somewhere, always moving forward, as if driven by the credo, ‘Life is there, and I’m going to go get it!’”

Phil attended Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, pledging a fraternity, but soon found his calling in radio. Under the name “Phil Dark,” he worked as a deejay for KPLS 1150 in Santa Rosa, California. The station opened in 1964, and it was there that he met his first wife, Kathy Smith, after inviting her and her friends into the studio one day. They married within five months—Phil was a charmer.

While in Santa Rosa, Phil promoted rock ’n’ roll concerts and served as program director for KPLS, hiring bands to play at local venues such as the Santa Rosa Fairgrounds and the roller rink. He worked with some of the most famous bands of the era, including The Who, The Animals, The Beach Boys, Janis Joplin, and Paul Revere and the Raiders. Eric Burdon of The Animals even stayed at Phil and Kathy’s home, and Phil loved telling the story of a party where The Who’s wild drummer, Keith Moon, knocked out his front teeth on a swimming pool diving board. Such were the times.

Phil remained in radio as his first three children were born, moving to Flint, Michigan, in the late 1960s for another broadcasting job. By the early 1970s, the family had returned to Washington, where Phil joined KIRO Sports Radio in Seattle. There, he was instrumental in securing broadcasting contracts with teams such as the Washington Huskies, the Seattle Seahawks, and the Seattle SuperSonics—helping put KIRO Sports Radio on the map. A colleague remembered him as “an exceptional salesman and advertiser who understood what it took to sell something and proved that radio was a necessary avenue for sports.” Remarkably, Phil brought in more revenue for KIRO than television did, an unheard-of feat at the time.

Never one to stand still, Phil also ventured into retail in the late 1970s, opening a furniture store called Syrdal’s. This business highlighted Phil’s knack for entrepreneurship and eye for design.

In the early 1980s, Phil worked in national and regional sports magazine publishing, helping bring to life Inside Sports and Young Athlete. He later returned briefly to radio, running stations in Las Vegas and Spokane, Washington.

Never afraid to try something new, Phil ventured into biotechnology and immunology in the early 1990s, co-founding Cytran with his brother Dan and others. The company explored cell-signaling technology, and Phil worked closely with Russian scientists to develop a new autoimmune drug they sought to bring to market. He traveled to Russia to meet with political leaders to secure development permits and even had a chance encounter with Vladimir Putin—of whom he later quipped, “I promise you, Putin did not smile once!”

Phil spent most of his adult life in Medina, Washington, raising his children with Kathy and enjoying his passions: golf, art, and music. A member of both Overlake Country Club in Medina and later Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Phil was a stellar 5-handicap golfer who won multiple club championships and tournaments nationwide. His most memorable golfing achievement was a rare double eagle on the sixth hole at Sahalee. He also enjoyed hiking, hunting, fishing, and camping. Known for his warm bear hugs, Phil loved his family deeply.

Phil married Barbara Burnell in 2003, living in Boise, Idaho and eventually moving to their townhome in Sun Valley. Phil and Barbara skied, played golf, and enjoyed having family gatherings at their timeshare in Cabo San Lucas.

In 2011, Phil moved to Palm Desert, California, where he spent the last five years of his life with his partner, Marcia Blumstein, enjoying retirement, many rounds of golf, and competitive bridge. Having learned the game from his parents, Phil dreamed of achieving the rank of Life Master. In December 2023—just a year and a half before his passing—he proudly earned the title of Bronze Life Master.

Phil wished to be remembered by the words of the sailor man, Popeye: “I yam what I yam! It’s not what you do, it’s who you are that matters.”

He is survived by his partner, Marcia Blumstein; his children, son Philip Bryan (and wife Julie and her children), daughter Erika Lynn (and husband Henrik and their children), daughter Kirsten Elke (and late husband Renwick and their children), son Daniel David II, his six grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and his brother Dan and sister-in-law Johanna.