Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - His many friends will mourn the passing at the age of 57 on November 26, 2014, of Phillip Anthony, a respected professional whose brilliant smile, outwardly calm attitude, and welcoming appearance was a fixture at countless laser industry events where he represented Rofin-Sinar, the company he was associated with for more than 25 years. Phillip waged a courageous battle with cancer and his friends will know that he did so with the grace and humor we all appreciated. He will truly be missed.
Rofin CEO Gunther Braun, in a eulogy, stated, "Many of us had the privilege of knowing Phillip for many years as a loyal and committed colleague and as a wonderful team player. His premature death has left a void in Rofin and in the laser world, as we have lost a highly esteemed comrade."
I had the pleasure of first meeting Phillip and his wife, Carolyne, in Munich at a 1985 social function arranged by Rofin-Sinar. This affair, held the week of Laser Munich, took place in a restaurant where the women were obliged to present food and drink to males; in my case, Carolyne was my partner. The gimmick was that men who violated the rules and fed themselves had to sing a song while wearing a wooden stock. It was the kind of frivolity that leads to the lifelong friendship Phillip and I enjoyed.
Several of his colleagues in the laser community commented as follows:
Elizabeth Kautzmann, program manager, laser/fabrication at Fanuc America, states, "He was instrumental and adamant about ensuring users had a sound understanding of the product and laser theory, for that I and many users are better skilled and I, for one, am very grateful."
Thorsten Frauenpreiß, managing director of Rofin-Sinar Laser GmbH, says, "We are all very sad about this tremendous loss. Phillip was part of our family for many, many years and not only an outstanding expert in the field of laser materials processing, but in particular a very good friend we could always count on."
David Havrilla, manager, products and applications at Trumpf Inc., notes, "His [Phillip's] extraordinary dedication and vigilant pursuit to expand the knowledge and utilization of lasers and laser processing testify to his passion and love for the photonics industry. Phillip was a mentor, a colleague, and a friend to me. I will miss him. He will be missed."