Phil W. Ebensberger of Temple was born July 4, 1937, in New Braunfels, Texas. He graduated from Burbank High School in San Antonio and received a music scholarship to attend Sul Ross State University in Alpine. He received his B.B.A. degree in 1960 and his Master of Arts degree in 1972.
In 1958, he was bit by a gopher outside of the Alpine radio station and was hospitalized where he met his future wife, Jenny Ruth Bechthold, a newly-employed registered nurse at Brewster County Memorial Hospital. The couple were married on June 6, 1959, and were the parents of two children, Penny Lynn, born in 1960, and Michael Wayne, born in 1961.
Phil Wayne began part-time employment at KVLF Radio while a student at Sul Ross in 1955 and remained in the field of broadcasting until 1978. He served as station manager of KVLF in Alpine and KVOU in Uvalde and was news director at KWBA in Baytown-Houston. He returned to Alpine in 1966 and accepted a position as manager of the Alpine Chamber of Commerce while also employed at KVLF.
In 1970, he became sports information director at Sul Ross State University, and a year later was named director of public information. The family moved to Commerce in 1974 where Phil became station manager of East Texas State University’s new public radio station KETR which began operations in 1975. He moved from the radio station to the school relations office in 1979 and then became director of admissions in 1982.
In 1985, he became the first registrar and director of admissions at the newly created Northeast Texas Community College located between Mount Pleasant, Pittsburg and Daingerfield.
In broadcasting, Phil Wayne received awards for Best Newscast in Texas for small market stations from the Texas Association of Broadcasters when he was at both KVLF and KETR. He was honored as Citizen of the Year by the Baytown Police Association in 1965. He received an award from the Alpine Lions Club for Distinguished and Meritorious Service for 1959-1964, received an Honorary Chapter Farmer Award from the Alpine FFA in 1970 and was named Sportscaster of the Year in the Lone Star Conference in 1975-76. He served as the Voice of the Lone Star Conference Basketball Tournament and Spring Track Meet from 1978-1984.
Phil served as president of the Alpine Lions Club, was a member of the school board in Commerce, and was chairman of the city of Commerce’s cable television committee, served as a board member of the Mount Pleasant-Titus County Chamber of Commerce and as Treasurer of the chamber board in 1988.
In 1996, Phil became the registrar at Odessa College and moved to Midland College in the same position in January 2001. He retired in May 2008.
Phil served as newsletter editor of the Texas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (TACRAO) from 1992-1995. He also received the organization’s President’s Award in 2007 and was named an honorary member in 2008.
After retiring, he moved back into broadcasting as station manager of KOCV FM, the Odessa College radio station for two years. He also worked part time for Midland College as a student advisor.
Jenny and Phil moved to Garden Estates of Temple, a senior lifestyle living community in September 2019.
Phil is survived by his wife Jenny of 61 years; his daughter Penny Lynn and her husband Tommy Escamilla of Monahans; granddaughter Treena Escamilla and her two children, Jaiden and Jordan Jackson all of Monahans.
Survivors also include sisters-in-laws Kathryn Bechthold Fleming of Stillwater, Oklahoma; Helen and husband Robert Escobar of Gatesville, Texas; Mable Gilmore of Hillsboro, Texas; Carol Bechthold of Temple, Texas; and Minnie Bechthold of Ft. Worth, Texas.
He was preceded in death by his son Michael Wayne on July 25, 1995, and his parents, Nina and Oscar Ebensberger of San Antonio.
Graveside services will be held at Monahans Cemetery December 19, 2020, at 2 p.m.