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interested in the evolution and systematics of With Peter Bellinger, he wrote two editions claimed priority or seniority; he was the ideal cave Collembola, a study which he continued of the “The Collembola of North America colleague and mentor. He had an overall for the next six plus decades. north of the Rio Grande”, a four volume joie de vivre which infected those who came In 1955, he accepted a faculty position work which is more than 1500 pages in in contact with him. He had numerous at Grinnell College in Iowa, where he stayed length. All in all, he wrote more than 120 interests outside of science, including acting for the rest of his career. He introduced papers and monographs. in community theater, listening to opera, generations of Grinnell students to caving During his six decades at Grinnell making wine, and studying history, especially in the caves of northeast Iowa, especially College, he took countless students caving, military history. His enthusiasms and overall Hunters Cave and the caves of Maquoketa and he introduced a number of students to attitude are all the more remarkable for the Caves State Park. The “big” one for most research in cave biology. He was an enthu- many traumatic experiences in his wartime of us students, Hunters Cave, did not reach siastic mentor to even the most unprepared years, in a unit with high mortality. Without 1000 feet in length. It, however, big enough student. He was also collaborator, mentor, complaint or self pity, he kept these stresses for several of us to catch the caving bug. and friend to generations of cave biologists, and strains under control, with the support It was also big enough to have a impor- especially those that studied Collembola, and understanding of his loving wife, Phyllis. tant place in cave ecology. Ken and his and co-wrote papers with a number of I had the great fortune to be his student, students, Mary Willson and Jerry Tecklin, them, including Chen, Culver, de Gama, Li, colleague, and friend for more than 50 years. published one of the very first studies of a Palacios-Vargas, Wang, and Zeppelini. No one had a greater influence on me as a cave ecosystem in the 1961 NSS Bulletin, For anyone who has met Ken, a recita- scientist or a person, and I am grateful to and included data on temperature, relative tion of his academic achievements does not have known him. I am certainly not alone humidity, organic carbon, and microdistribu- do justice to his influence or his character. in this, and a little bit of Ken lives on in the tion of Collembola. Ken was enthusiastic in his support both best of each of us who knew him. His caving career frequently took him of intellectual areas of interest, like cave David C. Culver to France, where he spent sabbaticals in biology and Collembola, and in those of NSS 9581 1962, 1967 and 1968 at the Laboratoire us who shared these interests. Ken never Souterrain in Moulis, then the leading research institution for subterranean biology. Until at least the mid 1970’s, he was the only North American with extensive contacts and he became known as a successful heavy collaborations in continental Europe. construction contractor. With the contract- His fame as a cave biologist comes ing business growing, Bil grew quite fond of from two sources. First, together with Tom offshore SCUBA diving in the Vancouver Barr and Tom Poulson, he firmly established area. His experience in coldwater diving, that the bizarre morphology of cave animals limited visibility, and diving in remote coastal was the result of adaptation and natural and island areas attracted a circle of some of selection, not just a loss and degeneration his closest friends. They who would eventu- of characters, as was believed by many ally look to his expert diving counsel. This European cave biologists. In 1962, he wrote comradery challenged Bil personally. Diving his only paper in French (of course that is as a hobby would soon develop into commit- one more than any other cave biologist from ment to a lifelong professional career. the U.S.), coining a new term for the suite of Bil explored the breadth of the Pacific evolutionarily convergent features found in Ocean as a SCUBA Instructor, experi- cave organisms—troglomorphy. This short encing many of this ocean’s most virgin paper, in an obscure journal, Spelunca, is and appealing reef environments. He a highly cited papers in cave biology, with moved to Thailand to be near their remote over 100 citations. He followed this with reefs. Summer temperatures would soar in many other papers on adaptation to cave Thailand, encouraging Bil to plan diving life, including ones in the leading professional vacations to other world-class diving destina- journal, Evolution. William “Bil” A. Phillips tions. Eventually he found Belize, and then His work on evolution of cave animals Quintana Roo Mexico to be to his new choice was more than matched by his work on NSS 26442 as a home. He left Thailand to embark on a the taxonomy of cave animals. There are Bil Phillips was a well respected under- new business on what was called the Costa approximately 60 species of cave Collembola water cave explorer, cave diving instructor, Turquesa. Always keen to improve his skills known from U.S. caves and he described and knowledgeable mentor to cave divers Bil became a cave diver. His commitment nearly 50 of them, many in the Journal of and underwater explorers for over 25 years. to cave diving and cave diver training estab- Cave and Karst Studies. During the course He made his home and caving business in lished his presence during the infancy of the of his career, he described species from all Tulum Mexico nearest to the caves and the Quintana Roo cave diving industry. the major genera of Collembola occupy- people he cared for most. An unexpected After a period of time as an employee ing North American caves—Onychiurus, and short battle with cancer brought his long in an Aventuras Akumal dive facility, Bil Pseudosinella, Pygmarrhopalites, Sinella, and distinguished career to an unfortunate moved a few kilometers south to build a new and Tomocerus. Among his international end in November 2017. His death took all adventure in Chemuyil. As the new owner works, that in China stands out. Following of his friends and colleagues by complete of Speleotech, he hung his shingle as an at stint as a Visiting Professor at Nanjing surprise. expert and seasoned cave diving instructor University in 1990, he wrote more than As a native of Vancouver Canada, Bil and guide. His spirits soared in Chemuyil 20 papers with Chinese colleagues on the worked for a refuse removal service. In time at this time. He made many friends from Collembola of China, including cave species. NSS NEWS, February 2018 21 around the world and taught many students. committed Director for the Quintana Roo explorations in Quintana Roo as best as we I don’t believe Bil was ever happier or more Speleological Survey (QRSS). He supported could in the QRSS. content and productive than during this the QRSS initiative for nearly two decades. Bil was instrumental in the history of period in his life. He saw the importance of complete under- cave exploration and cave diving training in Bil would come to join a small team to water cave maps, as opposed to line plots. Quintana Roo Mexico. His voice for caution, explore the world’s longest underwater cave He understood that with maps in the right a strong call for cave conservation, and his in the world. Early explorations in sections of hands, cave maps are training aids and a devotion to mentoring cave diver training Ox Bel Ha were the result of yearly, multiple means to teach students to reference the will be sorely missed. His past students will week exploration camps. Camping in the cave and not follow the guideline blindly. miss him, while new cave divers will discover jungle, these projects focused the team on Complete cave maps were also the best a legacy of his explorations in many remote exploring and surveying specific areas in the media for cave divers to plan their forays. cave areas. Ox Bel Ha cave. Helicopters, compressors, He also understood the need to archive cave Jim Coke human porters, horses, living arrangements and personal commitment enhanced both the team effort and the length of the cave. where he worked, was well known, and was As a member of the Explorers Club, Bil was recognized as a craftsmen of hand-crafted also rewarded by carrying an Expedition jewelry in silver, gold, and copper. He also Flag during a Sistema Ox Bel Ha expedition. cut and set stones. Michael was also a musi- My guess is that a number of the remote cian. He loved to play his banjo and piano, areas of Ox Bel Ha have not been visited and he loved bluegrass, mountain music, and by divers since. Unfortunately personal hymns. He played for anyone who would disagreements and philosophies surfaced listen, and he especially enjoyed playing in among the original team members. Team old-folks homes. explorations and team cohesion faltered One of Michael’s greatest loves was dividing the core team into autonomous caving. From an early age he and some efforts. All members continue to explore local friends looked for, explored, opened, this intricate cave maze. It is also remains a and mapped caves. He was a member of cave of many personalities. The exploration the NSS, the York Grotto, Mercersburg of Ox Bel Ha continues to this day.

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