He was an excellent engraver and a very nice guy. I'm so sorry to hear the news. Condolences to his family and friends (which includes many of us here).
Phil, my friend was hospitalized urgently Sunday in the night after a cerebral accident. After two days of intensive medical care, he passed away this afternoon.
Everyone is shocked by this unexpected death.
I remember sitting in Phil's kitchen with Kim Pember from GRS as we drank Nescafe and tried to explain why he should consider being a Grandmasters instructor. Phil had many reasons why he didn't think it was possible but agreed to think it over. Thankfully he did accept! I was his assistant and he was immensely proud to be a Grandmaster. I believe he taught two Grandmasters courses.
He was blazingly fast with hammer & chisel and push graver.
Add my heart felt condolences to his family and to all who knew Phil. He was a true friend with a great personality and will be sorely missed! I was really looking forward to visiting with him in Reno this winter.
It was a pleasure to have known Philippe and to have been one of his students. I drank beer with him, ate Chinese food with him, Alain, and Linda and Charlie Shreck. He also had some of the best cigars I've ever smoked.He was a very honest man, a good teacher, and could move massive amounts of metal with a hammer and chisel, hand held gravers and scrapers. If he broke a tool he would curse in English or Belgian depending on who was listening, but could resharpen the tool very quickly, by hand, and be cutting again in a flash. One thing he said to me more in his sculpting class in 2008 was, deeper, you must go deeper!!!!!