Philip Barnes Nash

Philip Barnes Nash, 75, devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle; accomplished aviator and die-hard Carolina Tar Heels fan, passed away Friday, February 28th after a brief battle with cancer, which also claimed his beloved son, Prescott Barnes Nash in 2010. A generous, kind-hearted and dedicated family man with a tremendous smile and wicked sense of humor, Phil's passion for flight was second only to his intense love for and pride in his beautiful family. He is survived by his wife, Gail Prescott Nash of Denver; daughters Alexis (David) Ciesla of Tampa, FL and Alicia (Thomas) Weaver of Denver; daughter-in-law, Christina Hays Nash of Denver; six grandchildren: Hays and Grayson Nash, Witten and Hadley Ciesla, and Nash and Ashlyn Weaver; his sister, Priscilla Nash (Seaborn) Brown of Sarasota, FL; and nieces and nephews in Maryland, Virginia and Oregon. Phil had a lifelong love of flying. He participated in Air Force ROTC while an undergraduate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he majored in Political Science and was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. He joined Continental Airlines in 1965, after his military service, which included the Vietnam conflict. Phil had a 37 year long and distinguished career at CAL as a domestic and international pilot and flight instructor. In retirement he was a docent at Wings Over the Rockies where he shared his passion and knowledge of aviation. Handsome, fun, charismatic, charming, flirtatious, strong of will and opinion, Phil lived life on his own terms. He was a vibrant, unforgettable presence. A celebration of Phil's life will be held at 1:00 PM, Saturday, March 8 at St. John's Cathedral, 1350 Washington Street. The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to St. Gabriel Episcopal Church, 6190 E Quincy Ave, Englewood, 80113 or Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum, 7711 E Academy Blvd, Denver, 80230. Please share your memories of Phil by selecting the Guestbook Link below.