Philip Andrew Schweitzer

YORK- Philip A. Schweitzer, 93, passed away Wednesday, August 22, 2018 at his home. He was the husband of the late Dorothy H. (Fiorell) Schweitzer. The couple were married 66 years before Dorothy’s passing in January 2015. A Celebration of Life tribute service will be held at 10 AM on Tuesday, August 28, 2018 at Life Tributes by Olewiler & Heffner Funeral Chapel & Crematory, Inc., 35 Gotham Place, Red Lion, with Pastor Tina Minnich officiating. Viewings will be held from 5-7 PM on Monday and 9-10 AM on Tuesday, both at the funeral home. Burial will follow the service in Bel Air Memorial Gardens in Bel Air, MD with full Masonic and Military Honors. Born January 12, 1925 in Brooklyn, NY, Philip was the son to the late John P. and Bertha A. (Mergenthaler) Schweitzer. Upon graduating from Brooklyn Technical High School in January 1943, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served as a paratrooper with the 11th Airborne Division in the Pacific during World War II, where he achieved the rank of Technician Fourth Grade. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with an oak leaf cluster for action on Leyte, the Good Conduct Medal, the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal with three battle stars and an arrowhead for an amphibious landing, the Philippine Liberation Medal with two battle stars, the American Service Medal, and the WWII Victory Medal. Philip also took part in the Los Banos prison camp raid, rescuing over 2,000 internees. Upon discharge from the service, Philip entered the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute and graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering. He worked as a chemical engineer for over 40 years, specializing in corrosion and materials of construction, and wrote 18 books dealing with these subjects which have been published worldwide. Philip was a member of the Masonic Order, the Order of the Eastern Star, and the Shriners. He was also a member of Salem Lutheran Church in Jacobus where he served on the church council. Mr. Schweitzer is survived by a son, Steven Schweitzer and his wife Nancy; grandchildren, Meredith Williams and her husband Bill, and Elizabeth Kirkland and her husband Grant, and four great grandchildren, Ethan Kirkland, Benjamin Kirkland, Zoey Kirkland, and James Williams. Memorial contributions may be made to York County SPCA, 3159 Susquehanna Trail N., York, PA 17406.