Obituary for Phillip John Litchfield
It is with great sadness that we announce that Phillip John Litchfield, our most beloved husband, father, brother, uncle, and friend passed peacefully surrounded by family on Sunday August 14th, 2022 at the age of 79. He will be missed tremendously by his wife Diane, children Nathan (Shalini) and Sadie (Stefano), and grandchildren, Malti, Beau, and Hugo. He was a loving brother to Ed, Claude, and Sylvia. He will be remembered fondly by his many loving relatives and great friends. Phil was predeceased by his mother Mabel, his father Arthur, his brother Doug, and his sister Julia.
Born in Brewers Mills Ontario, the foundations of Phil’s deep connection to the area were built exploring the outdoors with his five siblings. His lifelong passion for the game of softball was born out of many summer nights watching games at the Brewers Mills diamond. He was a self-taught pitcher, and spent countless hours as a teenager throwing rises, drops and changeups to his brothers beside the barn. His devotion to the game took him from playing at the local diamond with his brothers to developing into one of the region’s top pitchers, as well as helping him forge many great friendships. When he retired from pitching he contributed to local softball for over 20 years as a coach, league organizer, and umpire.
Phil earned a BA at Queen’s University, after which he attended teacher’s college in Ottawa, and went on to teach as an elementary school teacher in Northern Ontario, and later Kingston. He spent the majority of his teaching career at St. Lawrence College, where he helped many young adults develop employment skills through his work at the Futures Program as well as teaching math and business courses at the SLC main campus. His love for teaching was as evident in the classroom as it was on the ball field – he loved to share his knowledge and enthusiasm with others.
Phil knew how to really appreciate the simple things in life – eating a piece of homemade bread with jam, playing a game of euchre, taking a walk in the woods, and even mowing the lawn were things he loved to do.
Phil’s biggest source of pride and happiness was his family. In more recent years he had the opportunity to travel abroad with his children and grandchildren, where he was excited to try new dishes and see sights that were wondrous to the eyes of the big kid from Brewers Mills. But no matter how far he roamed, the simplest activities remained the most satisfying for him - he was always happiest back at home in the area he grew up in, laughing with his grandkids as he took them for a ride on the ATV or pushed them around the yard in a wheelbarrow.
A celebration of life will be held at 1pm on Friday, August 19th at Grace United Church in Gananoque. Everyone welcome. For those unable to attend in person, the service will be livestreamed at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNVYi-R3mmIG7LnX1jKJnEg/featured
For those who wish, memorial donations may be made to the Pittsburgh Softball Association or the Boys and Girls Club of Kingston. Please share your memories, photos, and condolences with us at https://www.directcremationservices.ca/obituaries.
Born in Brewers Mills Ontario, the foundations of Phil’s deep connection to the area were built exploring the outdoors with his five siblings. His lifelong passion for the game of softball was born out of many summer nights watching games at the Brewers Mills diamond. He was a self-taught pitcher, and spent countless hours as a teenager throwing rises, drops and changeups to his brothers beside the barn. His devotion to the game took him from playing at the local diamond with his brothers to developing into one of the region’s top pitchers, as well as helping him forge many great friendships. When he retired from pitching he contributed to local softball for over 20 years as a coach, league organizer, and umpire.
Phil earned a BA at Queen’s University, after which he attended teacher’s college in Ottawa, and went on to teach as an elementary school teacher in Northern Ontario, and later Kingston. He spent the majority of his teaching career at St. Lawrence College, where he helped many young adults develop employment skills through his work at the Futures Program as well as teaching math and business courses at the SLC main campus. His love for teaching was as evident in the classroom as it was on the ball field – he loved to share his knowledge and enthusiasm with others.
Phil knew how to really appreciate the simple things in life – eating a piece of homemade bread with jam, playing a game of euchre, taking a walk in the woods, and even mowing the lawn were things he loved to do.
Phil’s biggest source of pride and happiness was his family. In more recent years he had the opportunity to travel abroad with his children and grandchildren, where he was excited to try new dishes and see sights that were wondrous to the eyes of the big kid from Brewers Mills. But no matter how far he roamed, the simplest activities remained the most satisfying for him - he was always happiest back at home in the area he grew up in, laughing with his grandkids as he took them for a ride on the ATV or pushed them around the yard in a wheelbarrow.
A celebration of life will be held at 1pm on Friday, August 19th at Grace United Church in Gananoque. Everyone welcome. For those unable to attend in person, the service will be livestreamed at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNVYi-R3mmIG7LnX1jKJnEg/featured
For those who wish, memorial donations may be made to the Pittsburgh Softball Association or the Boys and Girls Club of Kingston. Please share your memories, photos, and condolences with us at https://www.directcremationservices.ca/obituaries.