The Reverend Philip Hewett—as passionate about Unitarian history in both modern Canada and 16th-century Poland as he was dedicated to hiking, skiing, and mountain climbing—died on 24 February 2018, at age 93, vigorous in mind and body to the end. His refined demeanor, thoughtful intelligence, and sly wit were the marks of a gentleman and a scholar.

During his long ministry (1956–91) at the Unitarian Church of Vancouver (Canada), the Rev’d Mr. Hewett helped to start three new local congregations, wrote multiple books on Unitarian theology and history, including Unitarians in Canada. All the while he advocated for reproductive rights, sheltered Vietnam War draft resisters, promoted LGBT rights, and helped to found the BC Memorial Society and the BC Civil Liberties Association. For his final book, Racovia, he acquired respectable competence in Polish.

Phillip’s physical stamina was legendary. The Rev’d James Kubal-Komoto recalls, as a 29- year-old intern, accepting Phillip’s invitation to hike up a local mountain: “I thought, ‘How hard could it be with this 70-something-year-old man?’ Nobody had told me that Phillip had hiked across Scotland the previous summer. Phillip practically flew up the mountain on those long lanky legs of his. Several times, huffing and puffing, I asked him if we could stop for a few minutes to admire the view, and he reluctantly agreed.”

Austin Phillip Barton Hewett was born in 1925 in Dorset County, England. He earned a B.A. (1949) and M.A. (1951) from Oxford University, and an S.T.M. from Harvard Divinity School (1953). In 1951 he married Hilda Margaret Smith, with whom he raised two children, Barton and Daphne. Later honors included an honorary doctorate in Sacred Theology from Starr King (1969) and distinguished service awards from the International Association for Religious Freedom’s American chapter (jointly with his wife Margaret, 1983) and from the UUA (1992).

Phillip’s life was celebrated at the Unitarian Church of Vancouver, on 23 March 2018.