Phil Fidalgo

1952 - 2022

Fidalgo, Phil, - 69, of Egg Harbor Township, Phil was just this guy, you know? That's a reference to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy that Phil would have appreciated. But really, there was no one like him. Philip Eugene Fidalgo was born in a U.S. Army hospital in Wurzburg, Germany to American parents Helen Fidalgo and the late Alex Fidalgo. Phil was preternaturally gifted in music, with a flawless ear and an uncanny memory for melodies, lyrics, and chords, without any formal training. He wrote many beautiful songs throughout his life and played in several bands. He married Cynthia Bonner in Colorado in 1977. Later that year, their first son Paul was. They returned to New Jersey and in 1980 they had their second son Benjamin. The family moved to Galloway in 1988 where Phil worked as a cable technician. He enjoyed producing recordings for younger local bands trying to get started, as well as playing music with friends. After his marriage ended, he moved to Egg Harbor Township. In late 2021, Phil was diagnosed with late stage glioblastoma. He died comfortably at home on October 11, 2022, at 69 years old. Phil had good friends across the country who loved and appreciated him exactly as he was-creative, funny, and irascible. He is survived by his sons Paul and Ben, his siblings Bobby and Candy, his mother Helen, and his grandchildren Toby and Phoebe, his nieces and nephews Jessica, Jill, Alex, Devon, and Garrett, as well as his daughters-in-law Jeanette and Jessica. Phil loved his parents and took good care of them in their later years when he could. He loved his grandkids. He loved David Letterman and the Marx Brothers and Ben's dog Fezziwig. He loved Monty Python and the Yankees and Richard Ford novels. He loved fishing and history podcasts and Star Trek and the Beatles and Snapple iced tea in glass bottles. Phil wasn't religious but he did have a feeling of being a part of something much bigger. One of his songs, "A Brief History of the Mystery," includes these lyrics: When my body dies, either later or soon Gonna take my spirit out for a spin around the Moon To all my family and friends: My body's just a shell My spirit never ends! So don't be sad and blue As you remember me, I will be again with you