Honoring the Memory
of Those
We Love

Philip Wainwright died peacefully at home in Pittsburgh, PA, on 8th July, 2026, surrounded by his family.

Philip’s story began in the village of Burton Hastings in Warwickshire, England, where he was born in a little farmhouse on 26th March, 1945, to Charles Edwin “Eddie” Wainwright and Doris Evelyn Armstrong. His father was a conscientious objector to the Second World War due to his religious conviction of total nonviolence, and his mother worked in the Land Army. Following the war, they moved back to London, where Philip happily grew up in a “prefab” home, playing in the rubble left from the Blitz, trading Batman and Superman comics at school, and delighting in early rock ‘n roll over the wireless.

Philip finished with school before it finished with him, preferring instead to pursue work in journalism and the music industry. In 1964, at age 19, he published Brian Wilson’s (of the Beach Boys) first interview in an English magazine, and helped entertain them on their first English tour, taking Dennis Wilson to see the latest Bond film. Later, Philip worked for an independent record label, where he at times accompanied the Rolling Stones to TV appearances.

Philip followed the hippie movement to America by 1970, settling in California. But as hippie utopias fell apart, and evil atrocities gripped him in the news, Philip grew disillusioned. He still couldn’t answer the questions that drove him to search for a deeper meaning in life. Through the writings of C.S. Lewis and the local Episcopal church, Philip found the answer in Jesus Christ. He moved to Albuquerque, NM, to begin again, and he was baptized there on 2nd October, 1976, at St John’s Cathedral.

Resolved to dedicate his life to ministry through the priesthood, Philip returned to education, graduating from the University of New Mexico with a self-designed bachelor’s degree in 1982. He then completed a master’s in theology from King’s College, University of London, in 1984, before returning to America, where he was ordained by the Diocese of the Rio Grande in 1987.

Over his career in ministry, Philip served as rector at The Church of the Holy Faith in Santa Fe, NM, St. John's Church on John's Island, SC (interim), Cople Parish in Westmoreland County, VA, and St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh. After retiring from full-time ministry, Philip completed his PhD in history from the University of Kent, served as Episcopal Chaplain at the University of Pittsburgh, and taught poetry classes at Carnegie Mellon University through the Osher Institute.

Philip took great delight in the world around him–a good cuppa, a fountain pen, a whangee crook-handled umbrella, a deerstalker hat, Marmite, cheese (so dear to him he often gave it up for Lent), anchovies on pizza, libraries, collections, and archives (especially those of his own creation), The Goon Show, Tintin, Biggles, Desperate Dan, Wallace & Gromit, John Wayne, bells and chimes, pipes and cigars, Gilbert & Sullivan, Milton & Conan Doyle.

He will be remembered:

For his curiosity, wonder, love of learning, and unusual fascinations—road tripping coast-to-coast with his wife, Thekla, using state highways only, traveling by train and ocean liner, taking up fly fishing, simulating English bells ‘change ringing’ with glasses of water after dinner, teaching cricket to the church;

For his passion for music, which he spread with joy to all around him—proudly (claiming to be) the first radio DJ to play a Pogues song over airwaves west of the Mississippi, attending concerts whenever he could, eagerly celebrating the history of rock ‘n roll from skiffle to Bill Haley to pre-army Elvis and beyond, encouraging his children to pursue any and all musical endeavors;

For his creativity—writing zany skits (regularly featuring the Marx Brothers) for sermon illustrations, acting out biblical battles with miniature soldiers for Sunday school youth, writing dozens of songs to be played quietly for his own enjoyment, and, since 2018, diligently modernizing the language of Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene for his own edition;

And for his daily love of Scripture reading and study, seeking to see all of life through the lens of God’s word, even creating his own yearly Bible reading plan; and his devoted service to the Church as the body of believers in Christ, recognizing that the Church as an institution is as prone to the sins and the shortcomings of any of its individual members, and thus as much in need of prayer, help, correction, forgiveness, support, and stewardship, as all of its individual members need the love and mercy of Jesus Christ, who is friend of the poor, lover of sinners, and ultimate repairer of all things broken;

This faith gave him confidence, peace, and comfort to the end, trusting that, to paraphrase Lewis at the end of Narnia: all his life and adventures in this world had only been the cover and the title page; now at last he is beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one has read, which goes on for ever, in which every chapter is better than the last…

Philip was preceded in death by his son, Charles Austin. He is survived by his wife, Thekla; his sisters, Mary Osman (Michael), Joy Greenaway, and Pam Westmore; his children, Laylah Stolp (Jason), Emily Wainwright (Kenny Snyder), Hilary Wainwright, Elliot Wainwright, Timothy Wainwright (Taylor), and David Wainwright (Katherine); and his eight grandchildren, Ford, Clay, Gannon, Penelope, Theodore, Elijah, Shiloh, and Samuel.

A funeral service will take place at Heinz Memorial Chapel in Pittsburgh on Sunday, 19th July, 2026, at 2pm, with reception to follow. Funeral arrangements entrusted to John F. Slater Funeral Home, Inc., 4201 Brownsville Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15227, 412-881-4100.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to The Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation or the CS Lewis Institute.