Philip Joseph LeFevre IV of Sunset Hills, Missouri, died February 8, 2021, in a tragic plane accident. His father, Dr. Philip Joseph LeFevre III, also perished in the crash. Philip was born March 6, 1973 in Springfield, Missouri to Dr. Philip Joseph LeFevre III and Patricia (Adams) LeFevre, both deceased. He is the devoted husband to Laura (Heinz) LeFevre whom he married on November 7, 1998. Philip is also the loving father of three precious children: Philip V, Patrick, and Colette, ages eight, six, and four, respectively. He is survived by his four older sisters: Michelle (Alan) Arbuckle, Cherie (Matt) Grahek, Christie (Michael) King, and Julie (Warren) Nakatani. He is also the “favorite” uncle to 14 nieces and nephews.
Philip is a graduate of Glendale High School and Drury University, both in Springfield, Missouri. He received his Executive MBA from Washington University, St. Louis, MO in 2011.
Philip became a licensed mortgage broker in 2004 and was the CEO and president of three successful companies: Accord Financial, Accord Properties, and his current company, Lending Partners.
From an early age, Philip longed to be a pilot. Under the tutelage of his father-in-law, James (Jim) Heinz, he began flight training in 2006 and earned a private pilot’s license in 2007. In 2010, he achieved his instrument rating. He was able to purchase his own private plane, which was used to engage with clients all over Missouri for his business, and of course, to soar the open skies with his family, especially his father. In 2020, they were able to complete his father’s bucket list by flying to the few remaining states left that his father had not set foot in.
Growing up, Philip was fortunate to spend his summers on Table Rock Lake at the family cabin. Many days were spent fishing off the boat dock or skiing recklessly on the lake. As previously mentioned, he was truly the favorite uncle, tirelessly spending hours driving the boat for inner tubing, skiing, and exploring the lake. His children have experienced all the joys of his childhood and love the lake as much as he did. He was a child at heart himself, and his ever-joyful disposition and optimistic outlook on life were contagious.
From childhood through adulthood, he was extremely gifted with his hands. Like his father, there was nothing that he could not take apart and put back together, be it electrical, plumbing, woodworking, mechanical, etc. The family relied heavily on his expertise and called him when anything broke. One of his most beautiful creations were cedar birdhouses with copper roofs given to friends and family. His children show every sign of following in his footsteps, with their intelligence and inquisitiveness.
His final gift to his children was a beautifully built tree house that he designed and constructed with his own two hands. In Philip’s own words, “it had all the bells and whistles,” minus heat, electric, and Wi-Fi, which were sure to be installed at a later date.
Loving husband, father, brother, son, uncle, and nephew. You will be dearly missed.
A Mass will be held February 17, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Justin Martyr Catholic Church, 11910 Eddie and Park Road, St. Louis, MO 63126. Interment Resurrection Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made in his honor to: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital https://www.stjude.org
The loss of Phil hit us all hard, Phil was not only a respected aviator, but a friend. Our relationship crossed from professional to personal. He truly cared deeply about his family and friends. He will be missed.
I was saddened to hear of the loss of Phil. I have flown with Phil’s father-in-law, Jim Heinz, as my flight instructor for over 35 years and I knew that Jim and Phil were close and shared a passion for flying. I am very sorry for the loss to your family. My deepest condolences.
Phil was a mentor of mine and like a father to me for many years. He and I started Accord Financial together back in 2004. I flew with him to loan closings all over the state of Missouri for almost 10 years. He was also gracious enough to pick up my wife in Kansas City and fly her to St Louis while we were dating. He was extremely giving of his time and talents. I will miss him greatly.
I had the pleasure of working with Phil the past 2+ years. Phil was passionate about his work and pushed for what he believed in. He was also quick to show thanks and appreciation for work well done. He was very loyal. I had just made a job change and I knew I could count on him to come along on the new journey. He and Donna were a winning combination, bringing humor and wit to our interactions on a daily basis.
God bless your family for this tragic loss and may you find peace and healing in the days and months ahead. I will miss him.