Heartbreaking news.

Phil Maronilla passed away on Friday at home. I hope we can arrange something appropriate for his family. Bikes and Kissena especially were a big part of his life.

I never met anybody so happy to ride bikes. Whatever the club needed he was always, always there to help with a huge smile on his face.

Sad news. Longtime member Phil Maronilla died of a heart attack Friday night. Phil was a great guy and a genuinely caring person. He was always the first to volunteer to help out at Charlie's races and SupercrossCup. I will miss him a lot.  He was a great friend and riding partner.

The club will ask the family what we can do for them and figure out what we can do to commemorate him in a socially distant way. 

Thanks for the update Patrick.  This is very sad news.  Phil was truly one of the nicest guys around. He will be deeply missed.

This is Phil helping when the club had to drain a "popup" lake before a Saturday morning race. We started pumping the night before and worked all through the night. 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/92879490@N04/14092698755/in/album-72157644072429607/

This is so sad. Phil was an amazingly kind and generous soul. It was always fun to race or volunteer with him. He had a great way of making every aspect of being a member of this team seem of equal importance. I remember great conversations with him on the long rides back from evening races at Floyd Bennet Field, interrupted only by his sprint up a segment on Washington Ave. by Prospect Park for which he owned the Strava KOM.

I'm shocked and saddened to hear this news. As Jules said, it's absolutely heartbreaking. They broke the mould when they made Phil, he's been a cornerstone of Kissena for many years, selflessly stepping in to volunteer and make things happen. Truly one of the most compassionate, kind and level headed people I've had the pleasure of knowing. My heart goes out his family. 

Yacks texted me this pic from LI CX a few years back



I have a few others

honestly shocked and saddened by this news. Phil was truly awesome, I will miss very much.

Phil was NYC’s foremost event volunteer, I cannot count the many events big or small where he was helping out. A huge loss for all of us, a huge loss for the City.

RIP. I'm in utter shock and disbelief. My heart is broken.

Phil was one of the first Kissena members to welcome me (and countless others) into the club and the NYC cycling scene. Being one of the few asian americans in the club and in the local race scene, he immediately took me under his proverbial wing and helped connect me to anyone and everyone. Seriously, I randomly showed up to my first big Kissena event at Will Doyle-Capitman's place upstate, where I literally knew NOBODY and he immediately pulled me into the Kissena community. That was his talent - he found ways to connect with everyone from all walks of life and made them feel like they were a part of the crew. 

He gave his time, money and efforts selflessly to anyone who needed it and to any good cause - so much so that it literally became a Kissena meme at one point:




Phil's personality was always positive - times like when I flatted out during a rainy park race, when he was just marshaling not even racing - he was the first to greet me at the tents with a big high five and encouraging words.




Or how about when I moved out of Brooklyn and way out to eastern Queens with a premie newborn and unable to find time to ride much? Without any prompt, he rode his bike over from Astoria to drop off kit and other goodies and to check in on how I was doing. Knowing I was near Cunningham, the following week he lent me his own cross bike so I could ride with the rest of the Kissena crew in the trails:

 


Seriously, Phil was always in good spirits, always happy to be a sympathetic ear or an encouraging voice or just a post-race goof:




RIP, my friend.

I remember flatting at FBF (Phil's domain) and Phil rode up to me as I was doing the long walk back to the start. He had been dropped but pulled over right away and immediately got a flat kit out to change the tube right there, even though I said I had a kit at the starting line. While talking about how the race was really hard and how he wished he had a few more watts, Phil took the wheel from me and started pumping up the tube with his mini pump (as if giving me a tube so I wouldn't have to walk 400m wasn't enough). We rode up Flatbush back by the park and Phil talked the whole time about how that was one of his favorite traditions after a FBF race- I think because everyone sort of ends up riding together regardless of how they placed in their races.

Phil was absolutely everything you'd want in a teammate and friend. He played a huge role in making Kissena feel like my home and I'm going to miss him dearly.

I'm in complete shock , what a legend 

^thats a great photo

Please pass this info along to close friends of Phil

1. His sister Cecilia is asking for donation to American Heart Association in his name in lieu of flowers. Card can be sent to: mcmaronilla@gmail.com

2. Viewing is 4-7pm Thursday in Brooklyn. 25 ppl at at time max  - Cobble Hills Chapel, 171 Court St., Brooklyn

3. There will be a church mass Friday morning at 10am before cremation. Cecilia has asked if anyone from club could be pall bearers Friday. Location is Our Lady of Angels Church in Bayridge Brooklyn. Message me on Slack and I will put you in contact with Cecilia

Update: The mass is open to all. Starts at 10:30am. Masks and social distancing a must - A Zoom link will also be made available

FYI, Phil's sister has asked for some group photos of Phil for mass. I took liberty of sharing some of the above photos with her. Please let me know if anyone has a problem with that. I also asked Victor to share a few

Always looked forward to great chats with Phil before and after the races, his enthusiasm and bright outlook (and big smile!) was positively infectious. This was from the end of last season cx race in LI.

Hey guys can we put the funeral details on social media, and or send an email to Kissenas past & present? Phil joined in 2013 I know we have mailing lists going back farther than that. He was a huge part of the club and I'm sure there are still plenty of Kissena alums that would like to pay their respects. 

A quick email about the news and perhaps soliciting favorite stories would be great.

Guys this is the zoom link.

I didn't volunteer to be a pallbearer, as I felt I barely knew Phil (though I was always mega-impressed with all the volunteering he did; I'd be coming back from a race in Prospect when there was a NYRR race in CP and he was sure to pop up).  I should have offered if no one else stepped in.

Hope others did.

See you Friday.  

*BUMP*

All- now that group rides and racing have gotten under way again, we want to take the time to properly honor our friend Phil, who passed in October of last year. We're still working out the finer details of what the memorial will entail (figure a group ride, sharing fond memories, and definitely a pastry or other delicious confection), but we know it will take place the weekend of July 24/25th. Please mark your calendars and keep an eye on this thread- Phil always showed up for us, so let's all show up and honor him

*BUMP*

All- we're going to hold a memorial for Phil this upcoming Saturday July 24th at 9am in Prospect Park. We'll meet at GAP, roll a few laps (figure 3 or so) and then swing off at the 3rd street entrance (where races start from) where we'll have an opportunity to tell stories and remember Phil. After that, depending on how the group feels, we'll either roll another few laps, or head to Konditori for some coffee and pastries.

We've been in touch with Phil's sister and there is a chance that she'll be there as well. Hope to see everyone Saturday

I'll be there in spirit. I have to be out of town on Saturday.

really sweet to ride and remember Phil today

https://instagram.com/stories/groovylab_/2625134690118367748?utm_source=ig_story_item_share&utm_medium=copy_link

So happy to see such a solid turnout for Phil!

Sorry I couldn't make it; family visiting.

Former Kissena Ryan Johnston sent his condolences; he no longer lives in Brooklyn and couldn't make it.