Phillippa Ewing Weiland of Clinton Corners, New York died peacefully in her
sleep on the evening of August 3, at home. She was 74.
Phillippa, known to many of her family and friends as Pip, was born in
Ipswich, England, to James and Marjorie Ewing. She spent her earliest years
on Oak Tree Farm in Hasketon, with her three older siblings, Richard, David
and Hilary, with whom she remained close for all of her life.
Phillippa was born with an effervescent personality that captivated everyone
she met – family, teachers, and the worldwide circle of friends she made
throughout her life. She and her sister Hilary were as close as two sisters
could be and attended the Convent of Jesus and Mary school, where Phillippa
was so charming that even the strict nuns who ran the school fell in love with
her and let her bend, and occasionally break, the rules the other children had
to follow.
In 1955, the entire Ewing family except Phillippa’s oldest brother Richard
decided to come to America in search of better job opportunities, and they
sailed to Montreal on the Arosa Sun. After a very rough voyage, they
planned to go to Philadelphia, where Phillippa’s Uncle was living. Those
plans were derailed by Hurricanes Connie and Diane, which wiped out most
of the bridges over the Delaware River, stranding the family in Newton, a
town in Sussex County, New Jersey. Her parents quickly came to feel
welcomed by the residents of the area and felt at home in that rural part of
New Jersey. So, they never did make it to Philadelphia, except to visit.
Phillippa and her mother went back to England for several years in the late
1950s, returning for her brother David’s wedding in 1960. Thereafter,
Phillippa and her parents and sister resided in Newton, and Phillippa
graduated from Pope John XXIII High School in Sparta, New Jersey in 1965.
Soon after graduation, Phillippa returned to England, where she went to
Watford College of Art, but soon embarked on a career in marketing and
advertising that was tailor-made for someone with the gift for words, both
spoken and written, that she possessed. She started off at Ogilvy making
tea for the more senior staff, quickly became one of those senior staff
herself, and soon began working for some of the most prominent advertising
agencies on campaigns for some of the best-known brands in the world.
Between 1965 and into the 1980s, Phillippa worked for Ogilvy and McCann-Erikson on Coca-Cola in Australia, Avon Products for Europe, and Lancôme Perfumes in France. She lived in London, New York, Nigeria, Sydney and the
Middle East during this period, achieving great professional success and
forming lifelong personal friendships wherever she went.
In 1981, Phillippa’s life changed substantially and for the better when she
met and soon married the love of her life, Arthur Weiland, of Clinton Corners.
She and Arthur moved into his family home, where Phillippa lived for the rest
of her life, joining in family with Arthur’s siblings, John and Suella, and
Arthur’s parents, John and Alice.
Phillippa’s career continued to flourish after her relocation to the Hudson
Valley, and she also expanded her professional repertoire by leading
fundraising campaigns for Williams College, working as a grant writer for
many local institutions and, between 2005 and 2009, the Franklin Roosevelt
Library and its associated institutions.
In 2014, Phillippa became Director of Marketing for Ashworth Creative in
Poughkeepsie, a position she held until her death. At Ashworth, Phillippa
worked on campaigns promoting COVID-19 vaccines for Dutchess County,
and particularly enjoyed working for Harney Tea on their annual Christmas
catalogue. She and Arthur even made a memorable appearance as Mr. and
Mrs. Claus in a digital advertisement for Harney that delighted her friends
and family around the world.
Throughout her life, Phillippa had a broad array of outside interests, including
books, films, music and charitable causes. She was particularly involved in
Dutchess Outreach, where she served as a Board member from 2002-2010,
and a long list of local civic groups with which she worked. Phillippa was
passionately devoted to causes that promoted the interests of women and to
further social justice, and she worked as a volunteer for many organizations
in these areas.
Phillippa’s friends and family will remember her most fondly simply for the
time they were blessed to spend with her. She was an excellent chef, and
meals at the home she and Arthur shared were memorable for the quality of
her cooking, the diversity of the guests, and the witty conversations that
Phillippa invariably sparked. She was also one of the first people to help
friends and family in need, whether providing comfort during cancer
treatments, bringing food in moments of crisis, and simply lending an ear to
those in need of solace. Phillippa took particular pride in helping women with
both professional and personal concerns, especially her three nieces, Camilla
Ewing, Lucy Wyatt and Suzi Ewing, with whom she was especially close.
Phillippa was predeceased by her brother David and is survived by Arthur,
her brother Richard (Sally) of Sussex, England, her sister Hilary (Kenneth) of
Newton, New Jersey, her sister-in-law Margaret Ewing, her two sisters-in-law
Bonita Weiland and Clarice Weiland, her brother-in-law Fritz Henn, as well as
many nieces, nephews, cousins and their families.
Phillippa’s family and friends will miss her more than this tribute could ever capture, but they
treasure the times they were fortunate enough to spend with her and will
carry their memories of her for the rest of their lives.
Phillippa will be receiving at 1561 Hollow Road, Clinton Corners NY 12514 on
Saturday August 13 from noon to early evening. On Sunday August 14, at
11:00, Friends and Family will gather by her grave at 2425 Salt Point
Turnpike, Clinton Corners NY 12514. It would please Phillippa to send any
Remembrances to Dutchess Outreach. https://dutchessoutreach.org
