Val Michael Phoenix

Val Michael Phoenix, a gifted musician, storyteller, and passionate educator, passed away on January 29, 2025, after a long season of declining health. Formerly from Manchester, NH, he spent the last several years residing in Somersworth, New Hampshire. A man of extraordinary talent, Mike's life was dedicated to music, language, and community.
A multi-talented artist, Mike was deeply skilled in playing and teaching multiple musical instruments, as well as offering voice and choir lessons. He was a devoted choir director of the Transposition Choir and the Founder/Director of the Y Madrigal Singers. He performed with the madrigal acapella singing group Myschyffe Managed and often took the stage individually as The Wondering Bard, enchanting audiences with his stories and songs. His voice also resonated in the New Hampshire Gay Men's Choir and his UU Church services, where his passion for music and connection flourished.
Beyond the arts, Mike was a fierce advocate and activist in New Hampshire politics, always standing up for the causes he believed in. He was an avid reader, a brilliant linguist fluent in Hittite, Latin, Greek, and other languages, and a scholar who pursued deep intellectual inquiry. He earned degrees in Classical Studies, Comparative Religion, and Humanities at the University of New Hampshire, later continuing his education in an MS/PhD program in Indiana.
Mike was a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Manchester, New Hampshire, where he found both spiritual and communal belonging. A graduate of Manchester Memorial High School, he remained deeply connected to his New Hampshire roots, sharing his gifts and wisdom with all who had the fortune to know him.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Claudette Bennett, and is survived by his aunt, Susan Byrd (Timothy Byrd) of Goffstown, New Hampshire, and cousins, Christen Nine of Waco, Texas and Stephen Byrd of San Diego, California. His mind, his humor, and his music will be deeply missed, but the echoes of his voice and the legacy of his kindness will live on in the countless lives he touched.
A celebration of Mike's life will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 669 Union Street, Manchester, New Hampshire on Saturday, April 12th at 1:00pm. Friends and loved ones are encouraged to gather and honor his memory in the way he would have wanted, through song, storytelling, and joy.