Dr. Philip R.B. McMaster

Dr. Philip R. B. McMaster, 95, of Providence, Rhode Island, passed away peacefully and surrounded by immediate family on December 11. A devoted husband and father, he was an insatiably curious scientist, medical researcher, and psychiatrist, an inveterate sailor and an indefatigable painter.
Phil was born on February 19, 1930, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and graduated from South Kent School, Princeton University and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. As an intern at New York Hospital, he met Elizabeth (Betsy) Wilkins, a social worker, and the two were married in 1958. Following Phil's training in immunology, he and Betsy lived for two wonderful years in Paris while he worked at the Pasteur Institute. They made many life-long friendships there, and adventures traveling throughout France in a dilapidated convertible Citroën provided a lifetime of stories.
Returning to the United States, Phil pursued his passion for laboratory research for decades at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, where he also completed a residency in clinical pathology, the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta and Rhode Island Hospital/Brown University in Providence. Always eager to master new subjects, he later did another residency in psychiatry at Brown and spent the remainder of his career in practice at area clinics. Working with patients in these settings gave him great satisfaction and proved a perfect match for his scientific mind, quietly outgoing nature, and ability to see the world in unconventional ways.
Phil was never happier than on a boat under sail. He and Betsy joked that they owned a sailboat before they ever considered purchasing a home, and they spent many weekends and vacations sailing the Chesapeake and the coast of New England. Georgia's barrier islands and Kennebunk, Maine, were two places Phil had deep family roots and visited often, and he and Betsy adored spending summers in Kennebunk where they frequently hosted grandchildren, extended family and innumerable friends. Phil was also an avid artist, painting throughout his adult life and trying his hand at everything from ceramics to printmaking. His favorite subject was the sea, and dozens of his paintings adorned the walls of his home. He was a long-time member of the Providence Art Club, where he was known to take many classes at once. A true polymath and always eager to meet new people and help others, he led an active, independent life, reading voraciously, hosting guests, visiting family, traveling, painting, and making plans for the future until just days before passing.
Phil is deeply missed by a wide circle of family and friends. Predeceased by his beloved wife Betsy, he is survived by his son Charley and his wife Debbie of Pepperell, Massachusetts; his son Joseph and his wife Gretchen Sinnett of Melrose, Massachusetts; and his grandchildren Caroline (Callie), Benjamin and Iain, his sister Gail Alling of York, Maine, and dozens of relatives.
A memorial service will be held at St. Martin's Church at 50 Orchard Ave. in Providence on February 21 at 11:00am with a reception to follow in the Great Hall. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions can be made to St. Martin's in Phil's memory.