Philip Joseph Sanchez, IV, of Monroeville, Alabama, age 64, passed away on Saturday, January 9th, 2021, from COVID-19. This was despite all of his efforts to use caution and respect the recommended guidelines provided by the CDC. Philip was born on March 18th, 1956, in Pensacola, Florida to Danice Chavis Sanchez and the late Philip Joseph Sanchez, III. In addition to his father, Philip is preceded in death by a nephew, Matthew James Raymond.

Philip was raised in Pensacola, Florida, and attended St. Michael Elementary School and graduated from Pensacola Catholic High School in 1974, where he excelled in football. After high school, he went on to play for the Golden Eagles football team at the University of Southern Mississippi and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice.

Philip obtained his Juris Doctorate from the Jones School of Law in Montgomery, Alabama. While working on this law degree, he traveled abroad to attend the British Academy of Forensic Science in London, England; the Department of Criminal Law at Uppsala University in Uppsala, Sweden; and the Institute of Criminology and Criminal Law at the University of Oslo in Oslo, Norway. He also did coursework with the Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, Alabama.

Philip moved to Monroeville, Alabama after law school and became qualified to practice law by the Supreme Court of Alabama. He instructed at Patrick Henry Junior College, now known as Alabama Southern Community College, in Monroeville, Alabama. Philip started practicing law in Monroeville at the same practice as Alice Finch Lee. During this time, Philip met and became close friends with Harper Lee, legendary author of "To Kill a Mockingbird." Later, after Philip's time as a judge, he would be compared in the media to Lee's notable character Atticus Finch. Philip served as Municipal Judge for the city of Monroeville for 17 years. He also served as Assistant Municipal Judge for the city of Evergreen in Alabama.  Philip held a private practice of law in Monroe County, Alabama, for 25 years.

During his lifetime, Philip was able to help many people through the various offices and community leadership activities he participated in. He was a board member and officer for the Monroe County Children's Policy Council since its creation in 2001. Philip initiated and assisted in establishing the Domestic Violence Intervention course used by the District Attorney's office, the Monroe County Circuit Court, the Monroe County District Court, and the Monroeville Municipal Court. He was an Assistant Scoutmaster for Troop 24 in Monroeville, Alabama. He was a board member and past president of Monroe County Habitat for Humanity and a board member of the Monroe County Hospital. He was also a parishioner of the Annunciation Catholic church in Monroeville, Alabama.

Beyond Philip's commitment to justice, his real love was his animals. He took great pleasure in the outdoors and was the caretaker of many wild and domestic animals. Philip also loved taking care of people, especially his mom. His mom, siblings, nieces and nephews looked up to him as the patriarch of the family since the passing of their father in 2000. Philip enjoyed boating, fishing, and the fellowship that came along with hunting. He loved coming to Pensacola to spend time with family and friends, including trips to the Marina Oyster Barn or catching the Blue Angels in their shared hometown.

Those left to cherish his memory include, his mother, Danice Chavis Sanchez, of Pensacola, Florida; siblings, Kenneth Sanchez of Navarre, Florida; Philis Danice (Prissy) Sanchez Payne, of Pensacola, Florida; Bo Sanchez and his spouse Abby Greene Sanchez of Longwood, Florida; Richard Quina Sanchez and his spouse Sarah Johnson Sanchez of Pensacola, Florida; Patricia Daune Sanchez Bailey and her spouse James Allen Bailey of Monroeville, Alabama; Robert O'Donovan (Roby) Sanchez and his spouse Christy Salter Sanchez of LaGrange, Georgia; eighteen nieces and nephews; and two great nieces and two great nephews.  Philip is also survived by his cherished dog, Bo (his child), along with several animals that he cared for.

Philip was a kind, caring, and gentle person who was taken too soon. He made life worth living, as his smile and laughter would light up a room. He will never be forgotten and will be missed by all that knew him. We are glad you are safe at home in heaven.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to all of Philip's dear friends and their loving support throughout Philip's life. We are especially grateful to the Monroeville community for the thoughts and prayers, to his close friends who came together to help provide the best care for Philip and his beloved animals, and to the Medical Staff who went above and beyond at both Monroe County Hospital and Sacred Heart Hospital during his final days.

Due to the current Covid-19 pandemic the family will be holding private services with live streaming available. Please visit the below link on Friday, January 22nd at 11 AM Central Time for the Philip Sanchez IV Funeral Mass.

Live Stream link: https://youtu.be/dqoOJvnGFbI

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to Monroeville, Monroe County Animal Shelter, 2265 Hwy 47 South, Monroeville, AL 36460. 251-575-3427. ***the animal shelter only takes checks by mail or you can bring it into the physical location.

Here is a link to a memorial video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJuCjdlL05U