OBITUARY – Rev. Dr. Philip Dale Stairs was born June 19, 1941 in St. Stephen, New Brunswick and went into the manifest presence of his Resurrected Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in Cambridge, Ontario on July 28, 2019 at 78 years of age. He liked to say he was the original Dr. Phil. Foremost he was a dedicated follower of Jesus Christ! Phil was the beloved husband of Lelia for over 53 years. He was the loving father of Jonathan (Lori) and Stephanie (Tim). He will be dearly missed by his 6 grandchildren: Jessie Stairs, Josiah Stairs, Brodie Roddick, Noah Stairs, Danica Roddick and Luke Stairs. He is predeceased by his parents Wynn and Margaret Stairs as well as his brother Earle Stairs and sisters Robena Forgette and Anne Stairs, but is survived by his sister Joan Dunwoody and brother Rolfe Eugene Stairs. Phil was a faithful pastor for over 50 years serving His Lord and His congregations in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Massachusetts and Ontario. Most recently, he was the Associate Teaching Pastor at Temple Baptist Church in Cambridge. Phil was a life-long learner and was a graduate of Moody Bible Institute, North Central College (B.A), Winona Lake School of Theology (M.A.T.S.), Gordon-Conwell Seminary (M.A.) and Westminster Seminary (D. Min.). He majored in the Bible! Visitation will be Tuesday, July 30 from 7-9 PM, Wednesday, July 31 10-11 AM with funeral on Wednesday, July 31 at 11 AM all at Temple Baptist Church, 400 Holiday Inn Drive, Cambridge, Ontario. Reception to follow the funeral. Any donations can be made to Trailhead Baptist Church, Petawawa (make cheques out to Calvary Baptist Church, Pembroke with “Trailhead” in the memo), Temple Baptist Church, Cambridge (
https://www.templebaptistchurch.ca/giving) or bringing clean water to Togo, West Africa through Global Aid Network (
https://give.globalaid.net/p-1560-clean-water.aspx).
Jonathan and family, please accept our deepest condolences on your loss. May your memories shine bright and give you peace during this sad time.
Martha and Jamie Manson and family
In August of 1974 Margie and I became acquainted with Phil and Lelia Stairs and Jonathan. At that time Phil was pastoring Hillside Baptist Church in Moncton, New Brunswick. In the providence of God I served under Phil’s leadership as youth pastor at Hillside.
They were wonderful years. It was a wonderful experience for Margie and I to sit under the expository preaching of God’s word. Further Phil was a kind leader who coached me along the way giving direction is a low key and often humorous way. He opened his library to me and gave me books to read to build me up in the faith introducing me to the reformers, the puritans and of course Jonathan Edwards. Soon we were discussing points of doctrine and Phil was soon challenging me and teaching me to analyze and evaluate sermons, lectures and books, and more books. Phil Stairs made a student out of me. My family laughs that when ever there is a picture of me there is always a book on the table, or in my hands. The book probably has Phil’s fingerprints on it.
Along with the wonderful fellowship that we enjoyed with Phil, we became great friends and beneficiaries of Lelia who was an outstanding pastors’ wife. We were privileged to be frequent guests in their home. Happily many visits brought us to the dinner table often on Sunday and sometimes on a Saturday night. Every meal was a banquet, a once a week Thanksgiving feast.
The Stairs moved to Halifax in 1977 and except for a Thanksgiving meal in Chatham, Ontario we were never in the same area again. However we never forgot Phil and Leila and their friendship.
To Leila we express our condolences and our thanksgiving for Phil; your goodness to us and the privilege of knowing you both. We were truly blessed beyond measure. To Jonathan and Stephanie and all their clan may I say….your dad sure loved you.
Jude 24-25
We are saddened to hear of the passing of Rev. Stairs, but we rejoice and thank God for a life well lived! We are grateful for his investment in Hillside Baptist Church, as the founding pastor in 1974, and for his ministry to us in the 1970’s. We praise God for the hope of Heaven, and we pray God’s grace and strength to all of you in the days ahead.
The Congregation of Hillside Baptist Church