Phil de Montmollin

Philip “Phil” de Montmollin Jr., 85, a Miami native with homes at Lake Tahoma, North Carolina, and in Madeira Beach, Florida, passed away peacefully on December 8, 2025, in St. Petersburg, Florida. He spent a lifetime in the newspaper business and was a devoted supporter of his wife, the Reverend Dee Ann de Montmollin, in the Episcopal ministry.

Born in Jacksonville, Florida on May 11, 1940, to Philip Sr. and Ruby de Montmollin, the family soon moved south to Miami. Throughout his youth, de Montmollin loved fishing and other adventures with friends and his two younger brothers, amid the city’s tropical surroundings. As a young boy, he also began what would become a lifelong interest in sales, selling homegrown avocados for 10 cents each and key limes a penny apiece to customers outside the local grocery store. His lifelong connection to newspapers began early as well, delivering papers for The Miami News as a fourth grader.

After graduating from Miami Edison High School in 1958, de Montmollin enrolled at the University of Miami where he developed a lifelong passion for the Miami Hurricanes football team.

His focus soon shifted from his studies to the business world as de Montmollin embarked on a career that touched eight decades of the newspaper industry, primarily with Knight Ridder Newspapers, a large national chain with The Miami Herald as its flagship. He began part-time work at The Miami Herald in 1957 in the mail room, then spent the next 12 years in advertising sales.

In 1971, he was transferred to Macon, Georgia, where he served as Advertising Director before being promoted to Vice President of Sales and Marketing at The Macon Telegraph & News. After a year at Knight Ridder’s corporate offices in Miami, de Montmollin was named President and General Manager of The Lexington Herald-Leader in Lexington, Kentucky. In 1980, de Montmollin became President and CEO of Fort Wayne Newspapers Inc., overseeing The Fort Wayne News-Sentinel. In 1985, he returned to The Miami Herald as President and General Manager, a position he held until retiring from Knight Ridder in 1990.

Later in life, de Montmollin remained active in the newspaper industry, co-founding the executive consulting firm Currow & de Montmollin Inc. He also served for 20 years on the Board of Directors for FP Newspapers, the parent company of The Winnipeg Free Press and other Canadian holdings, providing guidance and leadership across the organization.

Throughout his career, de Montmollin received numerous accolades, while serving in a variety of leadership positions within both the newspaper industry and the community.

He served for several years as a national board member for the Girl Scouts of the USA. In 1975, he was named one of Georgia’s Five Outstanding Young Men, and in 1985 he was Chairman Elect of the Greater Fort Wayne (Ind.) Chamber of Commerce, having also served as First Vice President of the Fort Wayne Urban League. From 1989 to 1990, he served as Chairperson for the Miami-Dade Beacon Council during the formative years of the county’s official economic development organization.

His newspaper career also led to a serendipitous encounter that changed de Montmollin’s life. In the spring of 1965, while riding up an escalator in the Miami Herald building’s main lobby, he met his future wife, Dee, who was coming down the other escalator. The meeting led to a 57-year marriage, and the couple reenacted the moment at a Miami Herald reunion in 2013.

In 1998, de Montmollin moved to New Haven, Connecticut to support his wife in pursuing a Master of Divinity at Yale University. He continued his active role as a clergy spouse following Dee’s ordination as an Episcopal priest, with ministries at Saint Thomas Episcopal Church in Coral Gables, Florida; St. Francis Episcopal Church in Rutherfordton, North Carolina; and the Church of the Annunciation on Anna Maria Island, Florida. At each location, de Montmollin spent countless hours behind the scenes assisting with church administration while also maintaining his own faith as a lifelong Episcopalian.

“What Dee has accomplished and everything she has done is extraordinary,” de Montmollin wrote in his memoir. “I am blessed to have been by her side and to have been a very small part of it. Dee could have done it without me, but hopefully I have made it a little easier for her.”

In addition to his newspaper career and his life as a clergy spouse, de Montmollin was part-owner of the Lime Tree Bay Resort in Long Key, Florida, for 12 years. A skilled chef in a variety of cuisines, de Montmollin authored two cookbooks: “The Lime Tree Bay Cookbook, Recipes from the Florida Keys” and “How to Gain 30 Pounds in Six Years: A Restaurant Guide and Cookbook from the Mountains of North Carolina”. He also wrote the travel guidebook “Anna Maria Island and More: The Best of Both Worlds” and his memoir “Phil’s Stories and More”, and assisted with his wife’s book series “Was That a Coincidence? I Don’t Think So”.

Beyond his professional life, de Montmollin was an avid runner, completing several marathons and a passionate traveler who explored destinations around the world. He also enjoyed attending sporting events, including Super Bowls, The Masters and US Open golf tournaments, and the Indianapolis 500, sharing his enthusiasm for sports and travel with friends and family.

A devoted father and grandfather, de Montmollin cherished time with his children and grandchildren, taking pride in their accomplishments and sharing his love of cooking, travel and sports with them.

Phil de Montmollin is survived by his wife, the Reverend Dee Ann de Montmollin; daughter Pam Miller; sons Philip III and David de Montmollin; daughters-in-law Chasity de Montmollin and Marianne Arbuckle; grandchildren Sean and Kassi Miller; grandchildren Clara, Cali, and Colby de Montmollin, great-grandson Landon Miller; and brothers Steve and Lane de Montmollin.

A Celebration of Life is scheduled for Saturday, January 3, at 11 a.m. at St. Francis Episcopal Church, 39 North Main Street, Rutherfordton, North Carolina. The service will be livestreamed on the church’s YouTube channel.

Additionally, an intimate Committal Service to place his ashes in a columbarium will be held on Saturday, January 10 at 1:30 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, 464 NE 16th Street, Miami, Florida.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Phil de Montmollin’s name to the St. Francis Episcopal Church Restoration Fund (39 North Main Street, Rutherfordton, NC 28139) or the Brevard College Scholarship Fund (One Brevard College Drive, Brevard, NC 28712).