Phillip was a proud and noble decorative holiday gourd, we honor his memory in my household with the impressive gold plaque seen below. Enjoy these memories from friends and loved ones. - JR

Excerpts from the Eulogy of Phillip Andrew Pumpkowski:

“ Phil was a man of dignity, of grace, and yes even style. Well I remember one time when we were down in SoHo which if you knew Phil, you know he’d never be caught dead down there. In fact I believe the man only wore one color his whole life, and I’m pretty sure you all know what that one is. Which makes the whole black suit seem a little off, but I digress. So we were in SoHo, I needed a gift for my wife at the time, as did he. So we’re wondering around and this had to have been over twenty years ago, SoHo wasn’t what it was now with all the Orientals, if you wanted a nice shawl, it took some effort. So Phil says to me, lets just stop and get a drink and we’ll figure it out later. I’m sayin Phil we got six days till Christmas, to which Phil responds, my wife is the catholic one. So we end up havin a few drinks, Phil being the natural born salesman he was ends up chatting up this tall gangly fella and it turns out he’s opening a store down the street next year. All new fashions, was the klean guy, had those adds I kept my daughter away from. Anyway, Phil ends up getting this guy to show us some of his product, and what do you know, he’s got some beautiful shawls, which he’s willing to trade for some of our, industrial metal. I’m happier than a clam, and blown away cause what does this guy need with metal. But Phil walks away with a twenty thousand dollar deal and enough shawls to cover every Christmas for years to come. Why tell that story? Well cause that was the kind of guy Phil was, could talk to anyone, he made friends instantly, and was always thinking on his feet. I’m really gonna miss old PK as we used to call him. I’m lucky to have known him.”

“ I only knew Phil recently, used to serve the old guy almost every night. PK as some people called him, I always preferred Phil, was a damn good man. Towards the endI used to close up the bar and just sit with him till all hours listening to those tales of his. A true New Yorker he was. Always said he was born in Brooklyn and he’d die in Brooklyn. I know there was some troubles he had, some demons he never quite faced, but he did his best, to help everyone around him, to take care of his family even if they weren’t too fond of him, and just to follow a simple code, one day at a time. I could tell some stories, share some laughs, but that’s for later, now I just want to thank Phil for helping me out, for getting me back on my feet again. I wasn’t doing to well for a little while, and Phil stuck his hand out when no one else really would. I think I’d known him for about two months at the time. And I swear he was a true friend, a real man of honor, and never wanted anything in return, that was just Phil. So thanks buddy, the bar and the world is a little less bright without you in it. We’re gonna miss yah.”

“ I may be the only other Pumpkowski here today, he was an only child and helost his parents early, but that never seemed to slow my Dad down. He had some problems in marriage as many of us do, but he did his best to be a good father. Sometimes, we just don’t get enough time on this earth and some relationships stay broken. But as the oldest of his children I was fortunate to reconnect with him before it was too late. To learn some truths, hear both sides, have the dad I always hoped for. As a proud daughter of Phillip Pumpkowski, I just want to say that he always took are of us, always watched out even from quite a distance, and never stopped loving. And if that doesn’t make a father than I’m not sure what does. “