Philip C. Beals

Of Southborough, a civic leader, businessman, outdoorsman, advocate for secondary school education, Marine fighter pilot, philanthropist, and family man, passed away peacefully on March 30 at age 88 in his home on Chestnut Hill Farm. He grew up in Winchendon. Philip went to Belmont Hill School and to Phillips Exeter Academy, later serving on Exeter's board of trustees in the 60s and 70s, and was graduated from Harvard College with the class of 1942. He and a college roommate learned to fly during college. In response to the attack on Pearl Harbor, they enlisted in the Navy. Following flight training in Florida, Beals opted to fly for the Marines. Piloting an F4U Corsair, he saw considerable combat action in the South Pacific as a squadron leader. He was the only member of his original Marine training group to survive the war. He retired from the reserves in 1952 with the rank of major. Philip and Elaine White, also of Winchendon, married in 1944 and moved to Shrewsbury before settling in Southboro on a 50-acre farm in 1950 where they raised their five children. He became involved in town zoning issues and served on the planning board for 10 years, helping to draft the towns first master plan. In the 1950s and 60s, he and his wife purchased 190 acres abutting their farm to keep developers at bay. All the land now is protected by permanent conservation restrictions, a lasting tribute to Beals conservation ethic and love for his town. Philip worked in Worcester at the Vellumoid Co., a family business that manufactured gaskets. The sale of the business in 1959 allowed him to spend more time with family and in Worcester civic affairs. He served on the board of Hahnemann Hospital, becoming its president, and in 1982 received a key to the city for his contributions to the Worcester community. He also served on the board of the Worcester Art Museum and the Fay School, and was an active member of both the Worcester Fire Society and the American Antiquarian Society. He was an engaged member of Pilgrim Church in Southborough for more than 50 years. At the state level, he was appointed to the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education and later served as the lay member on the Board of Bar Overseers. He became involved in the Worcester County Horticultural Society and was instrumental in convincing fellow board members to acquire an old farm in Boylston so that the society could have an outdoor facility to carry out programs. The old farm became the popular and successful Tower Hill Botanic Garden. His other outdoor loves included flyfishing and bird hunting in New Brunswick, CA, and at a family property in Spotsylvania, VA. He took up flying again in the 1960s and flew a Helio Courier from a grass runway at the Southboro farm. "Dad lived a long, productive, and wonderfully diverse life, full of friends and family," said his son, Whitney, also of Southborough. "He was one of those remarkable individuals from a generation of people who thought beyond themselves and gave so much to others." Philip is survived by his wife, Elaine; son Whitney; three daughters, Suki B. Sargent of Washington, D.C., Molly B. Millman of Cambridge, MA; Nancy B. Donaldson of Lincoln, MA; 12 grandchildren and 3 step-grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and one step-grandchild. Another son, George L., predeceased him. There will be a Memorial Service on Monday, April 21, at 11 AM at Pilgrim Congregational Church on Common Street in Southborough, followed by a reception at the church. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, contributions to Tower Hill Botanic Garden or to Pilgrim Church are most welcome.