Philip Alan Mortensen

BROOKLYN – Philip A. Mortensen, age 67, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012, in Brooklyn. He was born on May 12, 1945, in Madison, WI the son of Vernon and Elna (Karmgard) Mortensen. He married Sandra Mary Farnsworth on April 23, 1966, at Brooklyn Lutheran Church, of which he was a charter member. Philip attended school in Brooklyn and graduated from Oregon High School. He then attended MATC to study automotive technology, where he later served as an instructor. He opened Mortensen Auto Repair in 1965, and in 1992, was joined in the business by his son, Kyle. Philip joined the Brooklyn Area Fire Protection District in 1966, and became the Fire Chief of the District in 1974, a position that he has held since that time. He was recently re-elected and sworn in for an additional term. In recent years, he was instrumental in making it possible for the Fire & EMS Protection District to obtain funding for, build and move into the new facility currently housing the District. He served on the Brooklyn Village Board for about a year, and continued to be active working with the Village Board to facilitate business between the Fire & EMS District and the Village. He had advanced training with and was certified in numerous fire and safety apparatus uses and operations. Phil enjoyed spending time at his cabin, fishing, hunting and snowmobiling. This past year, he fulfilled a longtime dream of purchasing a 1956 Thunderbird, which he enjoyed driving and restoring over the past several months. He especially loved spending time with both his home and Fire Department families. Philip is survived by his wife, Sandy; children, Todd Mortensen of Elkhorn and Kyle (Lori) Mortensen of Brooklyn; granddaughter, Miranda; brother, David (Cheryl) Mortensen of Oregon; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, in-laws, other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents. Funeral services will be held at BROOKLYN AREA FIRE AND EMS PROTECTION DISTRICT BUILDING, 401 W. Main St., Brooklyn, at 11 a.m., on Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012, with the Rev. Rebecca Ninke presiding. Burial will be at Mount Hope Cemetery in Brooklyn. Visitation will be at the fire station from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 28, 2012 and also from 10 a.m. until the time of service on Saturday. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the “Philip Mortensen Memorial Fund” c/o Brooklyn Community Bank, 229 Douglas Drive, Brooklyn, WI, 53521, or c/o Union Bank & Trust, P.O. Box 15, Evansville, WI 53536 . In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the “Philip Mortensen Memorial Fund” c/o Brooklyn Community Bank, 229 Douglas Drive, Brooklyn, WI, 53521, or c/o Union Bank & Trust, P.O. Box 15, Evansville, WI 53536. Visitation will be at the fire station from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 28, 2012 and also from 10 a.m. until the time of service on Saturday. Funeral services will be held at BROOKLYN AREA FIRE AND EMS PROTECTION DISTRICT BUILDING, 401 W. Main St., Brooklyn, at 11 a.m., on Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012, with the Rev. Rebecca Ninke presiding.