Some of the information for this article came from Reavis' obituary written by Marianna McMurdock in the Bay State Banner on April 11, 2026. (link) His obituary also included invaluable personal information shared by his son Phil Reavis Jr. who honored his father in a moving eulogy.

VILLANOVA, Pa.—A collegiate national champion in the high jump and a member of Villanova's only outdoor track & field national championship team, Phil Reavis '59 represented the United States at the 1956 Summer Olympics and went on to become a decades-long educator and jazz musician. The track & field program and Villanova University mourn the loss of Reavis, who passed away in March at the age of 89.
 
Reavis was a two-time All-American during his collegiate career at a time when the NCAA Championships were only contested outdoors. He was a six-time IC4A champion in the high jump, winning three consecutive titles both indoors and outdoors during his career. Reavis set a world record in the high jump at Madison Square Garden and was known for frequently clearing the high jump bar at 6'7" or higher, nearly a foot above his 5'9" frame. He still ranks fifth in school history in the high jump nearly 70 years after his collegiate career ended, but his life included memorable moments as an educator, mentor and jazz saxophonist in addition to his athletic achievements.
 
Philip Martin Reavis Sr. was born on October 10, 1936, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His aptitude in athletics was clear from an early age, and he had emerged as a standout high jumper by the time he attended Somerville (Mass.) High School in the 1950's. Reavis earned an athletic scholarship to attend Villanova and helped the Wildcats become one of the most dominant track & field programs in collegiate history during his years on the team.
 
At a time when the IC4A Championship was considered on par with the NCAA Championships in terms of prestige, Villanova swept the indoor and outdoor IC4A team titles in 1957 and 1958. Reavis was the individual high jump champion at the IC4A Championship both indoors and outdoors for three straight years from 1956-58. He cleared the bar at 1.96 meters indoors in 1956 and won that year's outdoor title with a height of 2.00 meters.
 
Reavis reached the athletic pinnacle when he qualified for the United States Olympic Team in 1956. That year's Summer Olympics were held in Melbourne, Australia in November and December. Reavis was one of four Villanovans who competed there, including gold medalists Charles Jenkins (United States) and Ron Delany (Ireland) in addition to Rolando Cruz (Puerto Rico). Reavis had a mark of 2.07 meters at the Olympics and impressively finished seventh in the competition.
 
It was in 1957 that Villanova won its first and still only outdoor track & field team national championship. The meet took place in Austin, Texas and the Wildcats won in dominant fashion with 47 points, compared to 32 points for runner-up California. Reavis tied for third place in the high jump (2.00m) as Villanova scored in seven different events during the championships. Earlier in 1957, Reavis tied for the indoor IC4A title (2.06m) and won the outdoor title outright (2.03m).
 
The next year was an even more incredible one for Reavis, and on February 24, 1958, he was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated next to the heading of, "Villanova's High-Flying Phil Reavis." He certainly was. Reavis achieved the best mark of his career on March 14, 1958, at the Chicago Daily News Invitational where he cleared 2.09 meters. That performance is still tied for the eight-best clearance at an indoor competition by any Villanovan during their collegiate careers. Reavis' titles during the 1958 calendar year included his third straight gold medals at the IC4A Championship indoors (2.05m) and outdoors (2.08m), as well as winning the Penn Relays title (2.03m).
 
Officially a member of the Class of 1959, Reavis was inducted to the Villanova University Varsity Club Hall of Fame in 1981 and to the Track & Field Wall of Fame in Villanova Stadium on October 4, 1997.
 
The highlights of Reavis' athletic career are not the end of his story, but just one piece of a life well-loved for a man of many talents and endeavors. His obituary on April 11, 2026, in the Bay State Banner stated that Reavis was "known for his discipline, grace, poetry, music and laugh. The quote chosen for his high school senior yearbook speaks to his spirit, "The day most wholly lost is that which is spent without laughter."
 
Reavis traveled to many parts of the world during his life, beginning with coaching track & field in Cambodia. He also lived in Vietnam and Laos before eventually settling for more than 30 years in Macau, China beginning in the 1980's. Reavis founded the English department and taught that subject along with History at St. Joseph's School in Macau. While living in Macau, he was a tenor saxophonist for the jazz band "The Bridge." Reavis performed regularly in jazz clubs across Macau, where his presence is cited for contributing to the growth and visibility of jazz music in the city as well as for sustaining and expanding Macau's live jazz scene for several decades.
 
Reavis' son, Phil Reavis Jr., wrote in a eulogy of his father: "The name came from the bridge they crossed to reach their regular gig, but those who knew him understood that the name carried deeper meaning. Philip Reavis Sr. spent his life building bridges between cultures, continents, generations and people."
 
Later in life, Reavis was honored by a group of students from the local history club at his high alma mater in Somerville, Mass., in 2023. The students created an exhibit at the Somerville Museum with items recognizing Reavis' life and legacy. A public athletic field in Reavis' name was dedicated in his honor in Somerville in 2021.
 
In messages shared after Reavis' death, his son related that, "They speak of a teacher who made them feel seen; a teacher who called their full selves to attention; a teacher who gave them permission to relax, to be curious, to become more than they thought possible." One former student wrote: "He made me believe I could be someone," Reavis Jr., recounted.
 
Reavis Jr. concluded his eulogy by writing: "Philip Reavis Sr. was a high jumper who understood something about leaving the ground. He knew that to clear the bar, you need a running start, you need lift, and you need the courage to let go of what holds you down. … Let us honor him by remembering the laughter, by holding space for one another as he held space for so many, and by carrying forward the gift he gave so freely: the gift of making people feel that they matter."