John W. Philbrick ’58 died on October 16, 2015, in Providence, Rhode Island.

(The following appeared in the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram from Oct. 28 to Oct. 29, 2015):

PORTLAND – John W. Philbrick, born on Feb. 14, 1937, of Portland, and St. Augustine, Fla., passed away on Oct. 20, 2015, at Flagler Hospital in St. Augustine, Fla. John graduated from Bowdoin College in 1958, and Harvard Law School in 1963.

He served two years as a 2nd lieutenant in the US Army Transportation Corps. John was also very active in the community serving on many chairs and member of the Maine Bar association and Maine Board of Zoning.

Throughout his life John was involved with music. He studied piano for 10 years; also took lessons in clarinet, organ, oboe and tympani. John’s love for singing began with four years in the Bowdoin College Glee Club; followed by years of singing in church choirs, most recently Memorial Presbyterian Church in St. Augustine. He was a charter member of the Choral Art Society, serving two terms as its president and for many of the nearly 40 years with that group, as bass section leader. He also sang with the Cumberland Counts barbershop quartet and, more recently, with the Noteables.

Among the high points of his experiences were the European Tour of the Choral Art Society in 2001; two mission trips to Zimbabwe, Africa, with Seventh – Day Adventist friends; and a two-week trip to Russia for the purpose of adopting their youngest daughter Natasha. He was one of the first Americans to travel to Russia to do so.

John is survived by his wife Amy of St. Augustine; his five children John Jr. of Houston, Texas, Katherine Vorenberg of Barrington, R.I., Louise Philbrick of South Portland, Stacey Yadav of Fairport, N.Y., and Natalia Philbrick of St. Augustine, Fla.; six grandchildren; and a sister Jean Strout of Ithaca, N.Y.; and several nieces and nephews.