Mr. Philip A. LaFollette

Philip Allan LaFollette August 29th, 1954- August 11th, 2026 It is with the heaviest of hearts that we say goodbye to Philip Allan LaFollette, a beloved husband, father, brother, uncle, and friend. Philip was born on August 29, 1954, in Kansas City, Kansas, and passed away peacefully at home in Atascadero on August 11, 2026, surrounded by his loving family. He courageously lived with Multiple System Atrophy for four years. Philip is survived by his loving wife of 22 years, Bobby Jo; his daughter, Taylor; his sisters, Phyllis Bell (the late Billy) and Linda Figg (Chris); his brother, Larry (Brenda); and many nieces, nephews, extended family members, and a legion of friends who will miss him dearly. Philip was preceded in death by his brother, Gene (Carolyn). The LaFollette family moved to California in the early 60s and settled in Palos Verdes when Philip was 10 years old. He attended Rolling Hills High School in Palos Verdes, where he was named Athlete of the Year. He played quarterback on the football team and catcher on the baseball team that won the CIF Championship at Anaheim Stadium in 1972. He attended Humboldt State University before graduating from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a degree in English. He dreamed of teaching literature and coaching. Even during his high school and college years, Philip found his greatest joy outdoors. He frequently spent his free time with a pack on his back, exploring the Los Padres National Forest around Santa Barbara and Big Sur. His love of the mountains and the backcountry would become a defining part of both his personal and professional life. Philip began his career with the California Conservation Corps (CCC) in the early 1980s, initially working as a cook at the San Luis Obispo center. His cooking skills, developed while working his way through college, led to that first position, but it wasn't long before his talents and interests took him in another direction. He became a crew supervisor in Santa Maria and eventually found his way into the CCC's Backcountry Trails Program. Philip's journey with the CCC Backcountry Trails Program began in the late spring of 1986. It was the beginning of four consecutive seasons as a Backcountry Supervisor, leading young conservation crews into some of California's most remote and rugged landscapes. He served as the Klamath-Sequoia Backcountry Supervisor in 1986 and 1987, then the Klamath Backcountry Supervisor in 1988. During the 1988 season, the crew constructed 986 linear yards of causeway—the most ever constructed by a Backcountry crew, a record that still stands today. In 1989, he led his final Backcountry crew, the Modoc-Inyo Crew. Philip was a demanding and tenacious leader, but he led with his heart. He cared deeply about the young men and women who worked for him—not only about their development as conservation professionals, but about who they were becoming as people. He pushed his crews hard on the trail because he believed in the value of hard work and doing it well, but off the trail he challenged them to look inward, reflect, and strive for personal growth. His mentorship often extended far beyond what was expected of him. During his 1988 and 1989 seasons, Philip drew upon both his love of reading and writing and his English degree from Cal Poly to develop and teach his corpsmembers a two-unit, college-accredited course in Basic Writing Skills. The course was taught around the campfire after long days of trail work, and those were the only two Backcountry crews to receive such an opportunity. After his final season as a Backcountry Supervisor, Philip remained deeply connected to the program. For many years, he traveled to CCC centers to give recruitment presentations and interview prospective corpsmembers. He interviewed hundreds of young people who hoped for the opportunity to challenge themselves in the backcountry. He also had a gift for recognizing those who simply needed someone to listen. He was known to spend late evenings talking with young people who were lonely, uncertain, or looking for direction. He continued this work while pursuing his broader career with the CCC. Although much of Philip's CCC career unfolded outside the Backcountry Trails Program, he remained one of its most passionate supporters, advocates, and promoters. Then, in August 2008, the program unexpectedly lost its longtime director and Philip's dear friend, Peter Lewis. During that difficult period, Philip was called upon to lead the entire Backcountry Trails Program through a time of grief, transition, and uncertainty. Philip served as Director of the Backcountry Trails Program for about three years. His decades of experience and deep commitment to the program made him uniquely suited to guide it through changing landscapes of public land management and federal funding. He helped the program adapt and evolve while preserving its core values. Under his leadership, the BCTP embraced collaboration, looked toward the future, and continued to grow and improve. Philip understood that his time as director would be relatively short because he was nearing the end of his CCC career. He therefore focused not only on leading the program in the present, but on preparing it for the future. Just as he had done with generations of young corpsmembers, he mentored, taught, and prepared his successor to carry the work forward. His contributions to the Backcountry Trails Program reached far beyond the miles of trail constructed or the acres of public land restored. Philip helped shape the people who passed through the program. He believed that conservation work could build character, confidence, responsibility, and community. His influence on the corpsmembers and staff he mentored will continue through the people whose lives he touched. Philip's commitment to conservation extended throughout his entire CCC career. In 1997, he returned to San Luis Obispo, where he served as a Public Service Conservation Work Conservationist II. Working with his colleague Bruce Bonifas, he planned and organized projects for the City and County of San Luis Obispo, California State Parks, the U.S. Forest Service, and other agencies. Although Philip was highly experienced in trail construction and natural resource protection, he seemed to shine brightest when working on fish habitat restoration. Drawing upon his experience on California's North Coast, he collaborated with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to identify and develop fish habitat restoration projects along the Central Coast. He also helped establish a specialized fish habitat position within the CCC, creating opportunities for future corpsmembers to develop expertise in this important conservation work. Philip later served as a Corpsmember Development coordinator, where he continued his commitment to helping young people. Over the years, he assisted hundreds of corpsmembers and was particularly effective in counseling and supporting them during evening hours. Whether he was teaching trail construction, restoring fish habitat, interviewing prospective corpsmembers, or simply listening to a young person who needed someone to talk to, Philip believed in the potential of the people around him. His dedication to conservation and restoration was recognized through honors including Restorationist of the Year from the Salmonoid Restoration Federation and, later, its Lifetime Achievement honor. Philip was incredibly dedicated to conserving, restoring, and protecting public lands, but his work was always about more than trees, trails, watersheds, and habitat. He understood that stewardship also meant investing in people. His professional values of commitment, stewardship, and integrity reflected the personal character that was so evident to the wide circle of people who knew and loved him. In retirement, Philip continued to stay active and engaged. He worked with the Upper Salinas Resource Conservation District and served as a founding board member and Vice Chair of the Eastern Sierra Conservation Corps from 2016 through 2025. Outside of work, Philip had many passions. He developed a love-hate relationship with golf, loved playing the guitar and listening to live music, and never lost his love for the mountains. He followed the San Francisco Giants and 49ers and took tremendous pride in watching Taylor sing, act, and play soccer. He loved literature, travel, good conversation, good food, and maintaining the many friendships he had built throughout his life. He had a remarkable ability to stay connected with people, and his social calendar reflected the importance he placed on friendship and community. Above all, Philip cherished his family and his faith. He was an active member of the Nativity of Our Lady Catholic Community in San Luis Obispo, and his Catholic values were reflected in his commitment to service, stewardship, compassion, and the dignity of every person. Philip's life was one of humor, humility, kindness, service, and purpose. He leaves behind not only a family who loved him deeply, but also generations of young conservationists, colleagues, friends, and community members whose lives were changed by his guidance and example. He will be profoundly missed and lovingly remembered. A Memorial Mass will be held on Wednesday, August 26, at 11:00 a.m. at Nativity of Our Lady Catholic Church in San Luis Obispo, California. The service will be live streamed. A Celebration of Life is being planned and will be held at a future date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Philip's memory to Restorative Partners in San Luis Obispo. The family extends its heartfelt gratitude to Central Coast Home Health and Hospice for the compassionate care and support they provided.

Mr. Philip A. LaFollette

August 29, 1954 - August 11, 2026