Obituary for Philip Don Jockumsen
Philip Don Jockumsen
Outdoorsman and natural philosopher Philip D. Jockumsen died Oct. 20, 2022 in Twin Falls after living in the Wood River Valley for nearly five decades, years he devoted to hiking, skiing, rock-hounding, collecting records and electronic gear, and loudly voicing his opposition to the commercial and residential development that spread like cancer through the valley he loved.
He was known for his cutting wit and used it to eviscerate political and religious hypocrites in tirades famous among his friends. He lived alone and liked it that way. When the whim took him, he might disappear for hours or days, prowling Oregon Gulch behind his home or the vast reaches of the central Idaho mountains, especially the Pioneers. He climbed steep water courses in search of crystals and hiked meadows and slopes to make photographs of flowers, moths, butter flies and other Idaho wildlife.
Phil was born in Idaho Falls Dec. 6, 1952, the third child of Christian H. and Dora Eloise Hall Jockumsen. He attended public schools and grew into a towering athlete who played both baseball and basketball.
He graduated from Skyline High School in 1971.
He enrolled at Ricks College briefly but found himself more interested in fishing Conant Creek than in his studies. He left academia behind and joined several good friends at the Crystal cabin near Pond’s Lodge in the winter of 1973-74. The Buffalo River Gang learned to ski cross country and set tracks to slide through the forests of Island Park. The experience imbued Phil with a love for winter, skiing, and the company of good friends.
In the mid-1970s, Phil moved to Ketchum and found the terrain that enthralled him. He turned his back on mainstream social expectations for a life with more freedom. He sometimes told friends he wondered if they might not reach the end of their days and consider whether his choice was not superior to the drudgery of law school and business or the demands of domesticity. His personal philosophy included holding people to a high standard of conduct that could lead to unrelenting disdain if he thought a politician, a religious leader, or a friend fell below it.
Despite being a very private man, Phil found pleasure in the society of old Skyline classmates at reunions, including the 50th, held last year.
When his rental home at North Fork in the Wood River Valley was sold and he was evicted, Phil turned to his lifelong friend Steve Graves, who helped him move his beloved collections to Twin Falls. He died, alone, in his home there.
Phil is survived by his sister Vicki and her husband Robert Jones, one brother, and several nieces and nephews. His parents preceded him in death.
A celebration of life will be set later.
Outdoorsman and natural philosopher Philip D. Jockumsen died Oct. 20, 2022 in Twin Falls after living in the Wood River Valley for nearly five decades, years he devoted to hiking, skiing, rock-hounding, collecting records and electronic gear, and loudly voicing his opposition to the commercial and residential development that spread like cancer through the valley he loved.
He was known for his cutting wit and used it to eviscerate political and religious hypocrites in tirades famous among his friends. He lived alone and liked it that way. When the whim took him, he might disappear for hours or days, prowling Oregon Gulch behind his home or the vast reaches of the central Idaho mountains, especially the Pioneers. He climbed steep water courses in search of crystals and hiked meadows and slopes to make photographs of flowers, moths, butter flies and other Idaho wildlife.
Phil was born in Idaho Falls Dec. 6, 1952, the third child of Christian H. and Dora Eloise Hall Jockumsen. He attended public schools and grew into a towering athlete who played both baseball and basketball.
He graduated from Skyline High School in 1971.
He enrolled at Ricks College briefly but found himself more interested in fishing Conant Creek than in his studies. He left academia behind and joined several good friends at the Crystal cabin near Pond’s Lodge in the winter of 1973-74. The Buffalo River Gang learned to ski cross country and set tracks to slide through the forests of Island Park. The experience imbued Phil with a love for winter, skiing, and the company of good friends.
In the mid-1970s, Phil moved to Ketchum and found the terrain that enthralled him. He turned his back on mainstream social expectations for a life with more freedom. He sometimes told friends he wondered if they might not reach the end of their days and consider whether his choice was not superior to the drudgery of law school and business or the demands of domesticity. His personal philosophy included holding people to a high standard of conduct that could lead to unrelenting disdain if he thought a politician, a religious leader, or a friend fell below it.
Despite being a very private man, Phil found pleasure in the society of old Skyline classmates at reunions, including the 50th, held last year.
When his rental home at North Fork in the Wood River Valley was sold and he was evicted, Phil turned to his lifelong friend Steve Graves, who helped him move his beloved collections to Twin Falls. He died, alone, in his home there.
Phil is survived by his sister Vicki and her husband Robert Jones, one brother, and several nieces and nephews. His parents preceded him in death.
A celebration of life will be set later.