Obituary of Philip E. Hedges

Philip E. Hedges, Jr. passed peacefully at the Maine Veterans Home in South Paris on Sunday, March 17. Phil was born on July 28, 1933, in Natick, MA to Philip E. Hedges Sr. and Robina (Manley) Hedges. The family moved to Topsham shortly after he was born when Phil, Sr. purchased the Western Auto store in Brunswick. After completing middle school in Topsham, Phil entered Fryeburg Academy. Phil had a lifelong love of sports and while at Fryeburg Academy played football, basketball, and baseball. He played quarterback on the football team in part because at 5 feet 4 inches tall he could hide behind the offensive line and the defense couldn’t see what he was doing. His favorite sport was baseball and for the rest of his days he was always up for a game of catch, and he wasn’t shy about sharing his opinion of the latest Sox trade. Phil graduated from Fryeburg Academy in 1952 and signed up for the Marines to support his country in the Korean War. When he told his parents what he had done they immediately went to the recruiter and changed the application to say Coast Guard instead of Marines and soon Phil went off to Cape May, New Jersey for Boot Camp. After boot camp Phil was assigned to the Coast Guard Cutter Matagorda, based in Boston. In 1954 the Matagorda was reassigned to Honolulu, Hawaii. Most of the crew was happy to leave the icy New England waters but Phil was planning to wed the love of his life, his Fryeburg Academy classmate Evelyn Barnes of Hiram, ME so he traded assignments in order to get back to Maine. In 1954 he and Evelyn were married. He then became assistant light house keeper at Wood Island Light in Biddeford and went on to spend many years in the Coast Guard Reserve and then later the Marine Corps Reserve. After completing active military service Phil designed business forms and other paper products for Weyerhaeuser and several design companies. If you had a receipt from the clothing store, an order form from LL Bean, or a parking ticket from the local police in the 1960s, 70s, or 80s it was likely his work. In retirement he was involved in theater, appearing in several community plays and in a few TV commercials and as an extra in movies filmed in Maine including Storm of the Century and In the Bedroom. He also loved driving; he would jump in his car at a moment’s notice to see friends or family in the next town over or days of driving away. Phil is survived by his daughter Susan Unger of Houston, TX, his son Edward Hedges of Phippsburg, ME, his son Daniel Hedges of Baltimore, MD, grandchildren Jenna and Jeremy, and great-granddaughter Dakota. The family would like to thank the staff at the South Paris Veterans Home for their outstanding care and compassion.