Chris Philips Obituary, Death – Christopher Philips, also known as Chris, died on November 30th at the age of 80 in Charlestown, Rhode Island. On November 15, 1942, he was born and reared in Montclair, New Jersey. Linda, his 29-year-old wife, and his three gorgeous daughters Eve Haserot, Cally (Justin) Kayal, and Christine (Matthew) Kayal survive him, as do his grandchildren Remy, Julian, Louis, Jack, and Tess, and nephews Christopher (Traci) and Stephen (Michelle) Coughlin. Chris was predeceased by his sister Virginia, niece Pamela, and first wife Kerstin, who died in 1975. Chris had always thought he was born to be a scientist.
He received his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Ohio State in 1969 and completed his post-doctoral studies in 1970. From 1969 to 1978, he was a professor at the University of Detroit. Pfizer’s Specialty Chemical/Food Science Group then hired Chris. He worked on and was in charge of various projects, including the sweetener Alitame and novel microbial polysaccharides for oil recovery. His work there, as well as afterwards at other organizations, resulted in the issuance of many patents. After leaving Pfizer in 1996, he liked the challenges of founding, consulting, and working for startups in industries such as product anticounterfeiting, medical diagnostics, and chemical process patent protection.
Chris was a well-known boss who supported workplace collaboration. Chris has served on the Weekapaug Golf Club, Weekapaug Foundation for Conservation, and YMCA boards. Chris has always realized the importance of a strong education. Chris founded a chemical scholarship in memory of his first wife in the 1970s, when he was in his early 30s. It has been giving out awards for almost 45 years. Chris founded the Community 2000 Education Foundation 22 years ago in response to a community scholarship need. He was extremely committed to this non-profit organization, which provides scholarships to Chariho high school students.
His extraordinary efforts have resulted in a $2.15 million endowment for scholarships, projects, and honors, with 147 students receiving scholarships totaling more than $814,00. Many of the winners have returned to live and work in the area. Despite his self-described introversion, he continuously pushed himself outside of his comfort zone in his fund-raising efforts, leaving a lasting legacy as a result of his unshakable dedication to and belief in the Foundation. He was a San Francisco Giants devotee who consumed everything from spy novels to academic papers. Chris was an outstanding leader, mentor, and role model. He was devoted to his family and incredibly nice. He will be greatly missed.
