Phillip Ensminger

Phillip Ensminger, age 88, of Columbus, passed away on February 20, 2021. He was born at Mt. Perry, Ohio, on April 4, 1932, the eighth of ten children of Charles H. and Mary (Koehler) Ensminger. When he was young, Phillip helped work on the family's farm and small-operator coal mine. He enjoyed softball, basketball, and played trumpet in his high school band. He served in the U.S. Air Force from December 1951 to May 1956, most of that time in Germany where he used seismic sensors to monitor Soviet nuclear weapons testing. Whenever possible, he used photography to record classic European buildings, landscapes, and old-world European ways of life. After service, he applied his photography skills at weddings and other events to help pay for college. He was known for both careful composition and for capturing the essence of the moment in candids, and for applying the best composition techniques in his own darkroom. Phillip earned a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from The Ohio State University in 1961 and devoted much of his career to designing electrical systems for power production and distribution, water treatment plants, highway lighting, and other industrial facilities throughout Ohio and surrounding states. In 1971, he gave up his darkroom, and softball and bowling leagues in Columbus so he and JoAnn could return to a more rural way of life by moving with their four children to some acreage in the country north of Sunbury, where they dedicated their spare time to gardening, raising livestock and a menagerie of small animals, guiding their children through school, extracurricular activities including 4-H and church youth group activities, and hosting hayrides and cook-outs for many groups every autumn. Phillip was a man of conservative principles, faith in God, and healthy living. He diligently studied the Bible, observed Sundays as a day of rest from weekday pursuits, and supported the church and missions with his efforts and means. He worked hard and was not afraid of adversity. He was generous with his time and resources to his church and to many people along the way who needed assistance in one form or another. Phillip was predeceased by his parents and 6 brothers. He is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 62 years, JoAnn Liebhart (Columbus); 3 sisters, Fern Hunt (Columbus), Juanita Rader (Kenton), and Shirley King (Hillsboro); daughters, Rebekah (David) Foote (Polk, Pennsylvania) and Ruth Zimmerman (Columbus); sons, Frederick (Sunbury) and David (Columbus); nine grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. A public service has not yet been scheduled at this time. "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8)