Philip I. Arter
July 21,
1949 - April 20, 2003
Philip I. "Phil" Arter of Ward died of coronary heart
disease Sunday, April 20, 2003, at the Estes Park Medical
Center. He was 53.
The son of Irvin Eugene Arter and Gwendolyn Whitneck Arter,
he was born July 21, 1949, in York, Pa. He married Jennifer A.
Gillard on April 5, 1998, in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Mr. Arter was a longtime resident of Boulder before moving
to Ward and Estes Park. He also had a home at Oxford
University in England.
He graduated from Boulder High School in 1967 and received
a bachelor of science degree in aerospace engineering from the
University of Colorado in 1971. He received a degree in
airframe and powerplant mechanics from Colorado Aero Tech
Institute in 1978.
At the time of his death, Mr. Arter was the senior project
engineer for CU working on the High Resolution Dynamics Limb
Sounder instrument — NASA EOS Chemistry Mission. He was also a
professional research assistant for the Center for Lower
Atmospheric Studies at CU and a visitor in the Atmospheric
Chemistry Division at the National Center for Atmospheric
Research.
He previously worked as a lab assistant for the Cryogenics
and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory for the Aerospace
Engineering Department at CU in 1971; for the Boulder Valley
School District as a planetarium technician from 1973 to 1975;
at the Fiske Planetarium at CU as the chief production
technician from 1975 to 1979; for Combs-Gates Learjet as an
airframe powerplant mechanic at Stapleton Airport in 1979; for
Boulder Aviation as a Federal Aviation
Administration-authorized inspector and airframe powerplant
mechanic from 1979 to 1982; for Hyperion Aviation in Boulder
from 1982 to 1983 as a director of maintenance and a
FAA-authorized inspector; at Ball Aerospace Systems Group in
Boulder from 1983 to 1993 as a senior production technical
specialist, a senior electro-optics design engineer and a
senior cryogenics design engineer; and at NCAR in the
Atmospheric Chemistry Division as a project engineer on the
HIRDLS program from 1993 to 1998.
Mr. Arter had been published in various research journals
and publications and had received the following awards:
NASA/Ames Research Center Certificate of Appreciation in 1989;
a BASG Pride in Excellence Individual Achievement Award in
1989; a BASG Outstanding Individual Contribution Award for
Technical Support in 1988 and 1989; and a BASG Excellent
Performance Award in 1990.
He was an avid pilot and a founding member of the RV8-Club.
He was also member of the Experimental Homebuilt Aircraft
Association and the Boulder Mountaineering Club. He enjoyed
hiking, climbing, kayaking, skiing and motorcycle riding.
"He was loved and had the biggest heart in the world. Hope
you always enjoy the ride ... and you never forget the way
home," his family said.
Survivors include his wife of Ward and Estes Park; one
adopted son, Forrest Gillard-Arter of Ward and Estes Park; and
two sisters, Maxine Kingan of Pasadena, Calif. and Geraldine
Harper of Eugene, Ore.
Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Thursday at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, 3700 Baseline
Road, Boulder.
A funeral service will be at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at
thechurch, with the Rev. Stan Adamson officiating. Services
will conclude with a reception at the church.
Contributions may be made to the Forrest Gillard-Arter
Education Fund, in care of U of C Federal Credit Union, 2960
Diagonal Highway, Boulder, CO 80301 or to Rocky Mountain
National Park, ATTN: Superintendent, Estes Park, CO 80517.
M.P. Murphy & Associates - Funeral Directors is in
charge of arrangements.