Philip Orlando Varoz, died Sept. 7, 2026, at his home in Center, Colorado. He was 81. Phil was born June 30, 1945, in San Francisco, California, to Jose Abdon Varoz and Eloisa Trujillo Varoz. He married Margaret (Peg) Williamson on June 26, 1982, in Longmont, Colorado. Phil was proud of all four of his children, Michelle Jones, Kevin Varoz, Amy Duda, and Matthew Varoz and his three granddaughters, Erika Jones, Tate Varoz Meyer and Riley Varoz. He enjoyed spending time with all of them, especially taking them to the mountains to camp and fish. Phil loved having them involved with the farm and nursery.

As a child, his family moved from San Francisco to El Rito, New Mexico, and then to Los Alamos, New Mexico, where Phil’s father worked at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Some of Phil’s favorite childhood memories were spending time in El Rito with his grandparents on their farms. He especially loved helping his grandfathers with their livestock and picking fruit in their orchards. He treasured his Grandmother Trujillo’s cooking and marveled at all the canning and preserving she did.

Phil was proud to be a graduate of Los Alamos High School. After graduation he attended New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and then joined the Army where he was stationed at a missile site near Kastellaun, Germany.

After his service in the Army, he returned to Las Cruces to finish his degree in education. His first teaching job was at Riffenburgh Elementary School in Ft. Collins, Colorado. Phil became the K-12 principal in Byers, Colorado, and then middle school principal at Milliken Middle School in Milliken, Colorado. Later, in Center, Colorado, he became the elementary principal and then the superintendent of Center Schools. After his retirement from his education career, he farmed alfalfa and raised livestock on a farm north of Center, Colorado. Phil and his wife, Peg, also established La Garita Mountain Nursery in South Fork, Colorado.

Phil enjoyed taking family and friends camping and fishing near Creede, Colorado, where he encouraged his many nieces and nephews to enjoy the Colorado Rocky Mountains.

Phil’s other passion was traveling and he was able to visit all fifty states, Canada, and many European countries. As he traveled, Phil enjoyed meeting people and experiencing local traditions and attractions.

Throughout Phil’s life, he was known for his jokes, stories and antics that made people laugh.

Phil was preceded in death by his parents, his sisters Cynthia Weiler, Agnes Mauro, and Loretta Varoz and his son-in-law Gordon Jones. Survivors include: his wife, Margaret (Peg) Varoz of Center, Colorado; his children, Michelle Jones, of Ft. Collins, Colorado, Kevin (Debra) Varoz of Ft. Collins, Colorado, Amy (Kevin) Duda of Del Norte, Colorado, and Matthew (Megan) Varoz of Wesley, Arkansas; his granddaughters, Erika Jones, Tate (Kevin) Meyer and Riley Varoz; his sisters Gloria Whitaker, Martha (Mark) Ewing, Judy (Steve) Long; his brother, Joseph (Stephanie) Varoz; his brother-in-law Edward Weiler and numerous nieces and nephews.