“Every man’s life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another.”
— Ernest Hemingway

Daniel Lorentz Phillips, born September 22, 1954, in Ottumwa, Iowa, passed away August 31, 2025, in Salem, Oregon. Dan was preceded in death by his high school sweetheart and wife of 46 years, Luanne, in 2018. He leaves behind a daughter/best friend, Heather, and a grandson, Andrew.

Building US Cellar Systems

Dan and Heather started US Cellar Systems together in 2010 in a garage and home office, and it has grown at a modest, steady pace ever since. In 2020, when Andrew missed his graduation celebrations because of Covid, the family decided to leave Southern California and move the household and company to a lovely 5-acre farm divided by a creek in Polk County, Oregon.

The company thrived, and Dan was able to spend more time in the wilderness of the PNW with his family doing the things they love, fishing, overlanding, foraging for mushrooms, and just enjoying nature.

Retirement, Mentorship, and Continued Support

Dan officially retired in 2024, and Heather took over the company. Andrew assumed the warehouse management role, but Dan remained a valuable resource and maintained the technical support line. He enjoyed helping people and sharing his nearly 50 years of experience across all aspects of the HVAC/Refrigeration industry.

A Career Spanning Five Decades

After a short time in the Army in the 70s, Dan worked the assembly line for Bohn. In the 80s, he was in sales and engineering for Vilter. In the 90s, he and his buddy Russ ran American Refrigeration. He worked in the field installing and servicing residential and light-commercial applications, and from the turn of the century onward, he specialized in wine cellars, starting at Vinotemp, moving on to Wine Cellar Services, where Heather joined him two years before they broke out on their own.

While at Vinotemp, Dan met his friend and would-be apprentice, Mario. He became part of the family over twenty years ago and is now consulting with Heather to help keep that tech line running smoothly in Dan’s memory.

Dan’s absence is felt by many, and he will be missed by us here at US Cellar Systems, but he prepared us well to carry on this multi-generational family business.

We will continue to assist and serve you just as we have for almost twenty years.