Don William Phillips was born on October 21, 1926, in Downey, Bannock County, Idaho, the fourth of eleven children born to William and Alta Phillips. He grew up farming and attending school in Downey, where he was class president from second through tenth grade and played football and baseball for the Downey Bulldogs. He left school after tenth grade, briefly attended naval training school in Pocatello, then worked at Boeing in Seattle before returning to Idaho.

He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and, following boot camp in San Diego and training at Camp Pendleton, served in the Pacific Theater during World War II. He landed on Guam, then traveled to North China to participate in the Japanese surrender, helping move from city to city securing compliance and protecting civilians. He served for just over a year in China before returning home. He received his China Service Medal more than fifty years after his discharge.

On his return to Downey, Don met Janiel Swenson at a football game between the Downey Bulldogs and the Malad Dragons. They married on February 27, 1948. Settling in Idaho Falls, Don apprenticed in carpentry, joined the carpenters union, and spent his career in construction. Among his projects were the Idaho Falls Civic Auditorium and numerous bridges and overpasses across Idaho. He worked for several firms — including Arrington, Kiewit, and Aiman and Ovard Construction — and in 1954 co-founded Phillips Construction with his brother Keith. He later worked construction at the Atomic Energy Site until his retirement in 1988.

Don was a devoted father who took his three daughters camping, fishing, hunting, and to sporting events, and who gave each of them regular daddy-daughter outings. He kept a daily diary from his working years well into retirement, entries from which he would read aloud to his family. He took up golf in 1970 and was actively golfing with senior leagues into his eighties, making the newspaper regularly for his scores. His yard on Avocet Drive in Ammon — with its large fruit trees, raspberry patch, and vegetable garden — was a point of pride; he supplied frozen raspberries to family members as far away as Pennsylvania.

Don William Phillips died on January 8, 2014, in Idaho Falls. He was buried in Ammon, Bonneville County, Idaho, beside his wife Janiel.