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March 17, 1945 - October 15, 2021
Phil was born in 1945 in Gateshead, England and was the son of Beatrice and Philip M. Warden. Beatrice was a member of the Auxiliary Territorial Service of Great Britain, and Philip served with the Canadian Scottish Regiment, of the Canadian Army.
In 1946 Phil and his mom made the journey from England to Canada on the Queen Mary to join his dad who had returned to Quesnel, eventually settling as a family, in Bouchie Lake.
Throughout his younger years Phil (at this time called Sonny) was an avid baseball player and competed in the Babe Ruth Baseball provincials in Vancouver. He also played basketball during high school and will be remembered by his sisters as "Whistling Rufus" as they could always hear him whistling when he was walking home after a practice or a game. In later years he was an avid tennis and badminton player, and also enjoyed fly fishing, especially on the Blackwater River.
It was through this passion for sports that he met his wife Joan, while both playing badminton. They were married in 1974 and shared many wonderful memories, for 46 years, including the birth of their son Bill in 1981.
After graduation Phil articled with and later became a partner in the firm of Rigsby, Lea, & Barr Chartered Accountants. He took great pride in his profession as a Chartered Accountant for over 40 years, and strived to serve his clients with his friendly demeanor and integrity.
In later years Phil was involved in a woodlot licence, with good friend Wayne Boudreau. He took great pride with the chance to be involved in the management of the forest.
Involvement in the community was another of Phil's passions, being a long standing member of the Quesnel Community Foundation, Rotary Club of Quesnel, and Quesnel Tennis & Badminton Clubs. He was president of the Rotary Club and the Tennis Club throughout these times. He was twice recognized with Rotary's Paul Harris fellowship for contributions to the club and philanthropy.
Phil was predeceased by his parents Beatrice and Philip and niece Jodi.
He will always be lovingly remembered by his wife Joan, son Bill (Bonnie), grandchildren Sarah, Julia, Audrey and Liam. Sisters Val (Wayne) Cave, Karen Powell, nieces and nephews Scott, Annie and Ben Cave, Caitlin, and Josh Wiens, Garrick (Kayla) and Bryer Powell, Jerred & Nevaeh Powell, cousins Terry (Nancy) Patchett, Don (Jean) Patchett and their families as well as many friends and business associates.
The family would like to thank Dr. Tahmasbi and all the staff of Dunrovin Park Lodge for the wonderful care shown to Phil while he was a resident and to Pastor Dave MacPhee for his kind words and prayers. A private family service was held at the Quesnel Cemetery on October 23,2021
Donations in Phil's memory can be made to the Quesnel Community Foundation, PO Box 4158, Quesnel BC V2J 3J2 or the Rotary Club of Quesnel, PO Box 4031, Quesnel BC V2J 3J2.
Phil left us all with his sense of humor, honesty and respect for others and will continue to guide us.