Philip was born in Hartlepool on June 12th 1936. He was very proud of his North Eastern roots! His parents, Wilfred and Sarah, with Phil moved to Asfordby near Melton Mowbray because Phil’s father worked in the munitions.
Returning to Hartlepool, Phil became an altar server at St Joseph’s Church and completed his primary education. The next few years saw him trying his vocation with the Missionaries of Africa (formally known as White Fathers). He spent his time in Bishop Waltham in Hampshire, St Boswells in the borders region of Scotland, and finally in Northern Ireland close to the Irish Border. When he left, his aunt suggested that he should consider a career in teaching and he was accepted at Hopwood Hall in Lancashire. He taught for a short time in the Walworth Road English Martyrs Primary School.
Applying to join the Civil Service he became part of the Lord Chancellor’s Department at the Public Trust Office in Kingsway. Mutual friends introduced him to his future wife at the Yorkshire Grey Pub in Eltham (before it became a “Drive-in” MacDonald’s). A few years later, we were married in Brockley in 1968.
Phil was always a keen sportsman who played cricket and rugby and then took up tennis, badminton and table tennis. We have particularly enjoyed holidays in Yorkshire and Durham.
We have been parishioners at St Stephen’s since 1971 and have been happily involved in parish activities regularly. Phil’s main duties involved money counting after weekly collections and events such as the annual Parish Bazaar and charity raffles. He was always to be seen helping to sell raffle tickets at the Carol Service.
For the last three years, Phil had not been in the best of health, but he remained patient and cheerful despite the worsening medical issues.
May he rest in peace.