Payson, Phillips Howes of Washington, Connecticut, died peacefully at home, December 29, 2021, age 91.

Phil is survived by his loving wife of 52 years, Sarah Taylor Payson; children Marian Whitney Payson (Helen Wiley) of Rochester, N.Y., Parker Laurence Payson of Fairhope, Ala., and Elizabeth Payson Cooper of Boulder, Colo.; grandchildren Samuel Mason Wiley, Richard Skiddy Payson, Eleanor Jie Strader Payson, Daisy Payson Cooper, and Reid Parker Cooper; cousin Nancy Payson (William) O’Brien; one niece, seven nephews, 15 great nieces and nephews, and three godchildren.

He is predeceased by his siblings, William Skiddy Payson and Constance Alliott Pike.

Phil was born on October 27, 1930, in New York City, son of Laurence George and Eleanor Parker Payson. He grew up in Riverdale, New York, and Stamford, Connecticut, and graduated from Millbrook School and Princeton University.

His business career began in New York City at Robert F. Warner, Inc, advising client hotels and promoting tourism for the governments of Bermuda and the Territory of Hawaii. For more than a decade Phil administered grants for the New York Community Trust, where he served as assistant director and also as vice president of Community Funds, Inc. He also served as assistant director and treasurer for the James Foundation, aiding the Foundation’s purchase and development of an 1,800 acre public park in the Missouri Ozarks. After moving to Connecticut in 1972, Phil founded The Travelers Cooperative, an organization for members to research vacation travel in the pre-internet age. He later owned a timber and Christmas tree farm.

During his 50-plus years living in Northwest Connecticut, Phil devoted much of his time to improving the community and helping those in need. In 1988, he cofounded the Washington Community Housing Trust to help build and improve affordable housing for seniors and town residents, serving as treasurer and board member for more than 15 years. For 17 years, Phil served as chair of the Washington Citizens’ Scholarship Foundation Award Committee. He took great pride that its grants were more generous, per capita, than any other community in New England. In 2008, the Foundation named Phil its sole Honorary Director in appreciation of his stewardship. He also served as treasurer and trustee of the American Indian Archeological Institute for 15 years, a commissioner on the Town of Washington’s Historic District Commission for 17 years, and the tennis chairman for the Washington Club for nearly two decades. In his spare time, Phil taught computer literacy to seniors and practiced neon sculpture, an avocation he learned in his 60s.

Phil delighted in the company of his family and many friends, especially on the tennis court, at the card table, watching a spectacular fireworks display, or one of the many family vacations he meticulously planned in search of, as he put it, “the sublime,” rather than “the routine.” Phil’s mind was lightning fast, his recall of information broad and deep, and his love of nearly all games unsurpassed. He had a marvelous sense of humor, a playful streak, and a kind heart — characteristics that drew children of all ages to him. Phil had the remarkable talent of making whomever he was talking to the most important person in the room.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution in Phil’s memory to the Housatonic Habitat for Humanity, housatonichabitat.org.

A Memorial Service will be held April 23, 11:30 am, at the First Congregational Church of Washington, Conn.