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Phil Richman - December 5, 1923 - August 21, 1998
In loving memory from Julie, Pamela and Sam Magrill, Gail and Tom Miller, Celia and Paco Fonta,
Talia and Mira Magrill, Ariella, Fiona and Billy Miller, Adam and Tito Fonta.

Phil Richman, 74, Public relations consultant and president of Phil Richman Associates, died on Friday, August 21, 1998. A great lover of classical music and a high end audio enthusiast, he was well respected in the Chicago music community as an expert on the latest advances in sound reproduction. He was active in the Hyde Park community in Chicago and served as Publicist for the 57th Street Art Fair for many years.

One of his projects was encouraging the Hyde Park Alderman to request a fountain from the city which would beautify Bixler Playground on the corner of 57th Street and Kenwood Avenue, near the annual 57th Street Art Fair. . This fountain was designed to have plaques around it which could be used to honor members of the community who had contributed to and served the community.

Phil's idea and suggestion for a fountain to be built in Bixler Playground in Hyde Park, did come about and two weeks before his death the fountain was turned on.

This year, on July 14th, 2000, a plaque will be placed on the fountain and dedicated to his honor.

He graduated from the University of Chicago in 1947 where he studied music composition and wrote many pieces for piano in addition to the music for Noah's Lark, book and lyrics by Jerome Sandweiss.The show was performed on May 15, 16 and 17 in Mandel Hall of the University of Chicago.

The following text is the eulogy given at his funeral by his dear friend, Bruce Winstein. What can I say? Phil has passed away but it is too early for that to have happened. Phil was my very good friend for the last 18 years. We took to each other immediately, having a love of music and hi-fi in common. (Phil's e-mail name was at one time Hi-Fi-Phil). We had other connections too. Phil taught me so much about music, composers and performers that I had never heard of that are now my favorites too. He shared concerts of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra he had attended from his teen years on. He had tremendous energy (Julie too) and his ear for music showed not the slightest deterioration. Nor did his heart, even though imperfect in hislater years, ever lack love. He and I used to visit hi-fi stores together; and Julie and my wife Joan were overjoyed when we met so THEY didn't have to go along anymore ! Phil was always interested in equipment that best portrayed the emotion of the music. He took the greatest pleasure in seeing friends discover how wonderful home music reproduction could be. Loving records, he had the best turntable made (LINN) and he loved his QUAD speakers. He did some Public Relations work for LINN and really loved that. He recently had his speakers improved by a mutual friend; he really loved the change and I'm so happy he got to enjoy them. Phil was so generous of his time and friendship. I told him I'd be forever grateful for his single-handedly transporting his large and delicate speakers to my house for me to listen once. He and Julie attended performances by our kids, which I assure you were NOWHERE in the league of his own extremely talented daughters- Gail, Pamela, and Ceci. And with Julie's art, what a talented family! Of course we know he always strove for the best. He really challenged those around him. On a hi-fi internet group, he recently steered the conversation to music and told everyone to check out Mikhail Pletnev and Dubravka Tomsic who "are among the few contemporary pianists I can confidently label superlative." If YOU'VE never heard of these performers, you can imagine the reaction of this neophyte "chat-group." We've had such wonderful times with the Richmans. We traveled together in Florence; we've been at each other's surprise parties (although it was impossible to truly surprise Phil); we've seen each others kids grow over the years. The Richmans came to many parties at our house. Phil was SO punctual (often arriving when we were in the shower, etc.) that once we actually gave him a time 15 min. later than for the other guests. When they arrived simultaneously with another couple, Phil suspected something was up! Our other connection was science, my profession and Phil's avocation. At this he was no dilettante. He read and understood more science books than any other lay person I know. He attended science lectures at the University. He loved talking and thinking science. He was also very computer literate; he was one of the first to have bought a PC, an Osborne in the early 70's; he mastered the internet, html, the www before I know much about it myself! When I finally needed to know, Phil and Julie offered good advice. He knew many other scientists and once got a kick out of knowing before me that I was to get some recognition. Many of you probably don't know that Phil extensively critiqued a 600 page draft of the book "Black Holes and Time Warps, Einstein's Outrageous Legacy" by Kip Thorne with a forward by Steven Hawking, and that he's acknowledged for making "significant improvements" to the text. He also read and commented on a draft of a National Academy of Sciences report; his comments were circulated to the whole committee and had real impact on the document. I think Sam is going to arrange a concert of Chopin cello sonatas inPhil's memory, which will be most appropriate. It is sad that we will not be able to listen to music again. One of the pieces we often put on was Mahler's 4th symphony and Phil would always want to listen to the 4th movement. His favorite soprano was Elly Ameling and this is the recording we would listen to most often. The day he died I listened again. I had never known what the lyrics meant; and I don't know if Phil did either.   "We enjoy heavenly pleasures And therefore shun what is earthly; No worldly strife Is heard in Heaven; Everything lives in sweetest peace! No music on earth Can compare with ours."   Good-bye dear friend Phil.

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