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After his happy years at Lancing, Philip served with the RAF in Cyprus on National Service during the troubles. Afterwards, Philip read Theology at St Edmund Hall, Oxford and from there went to Ridley Hall, Cambridge, where he trained for ministry in the Church of England. He served as a curate at Camborne Parish Church from 1964 to 1968 and later as a priest in Cornwall while researching a PhD in linguistics from Exeter University.
Philip married Joanna in 1964. They had two children, Annabel and Edmund.
Philip’s love for the Middle East began on a trip to the Holy Land while serving in Cyprus. The region dominated his later career, mostly as a university lecturer. He worked in Sudan, Yemen, Oman, North Cyprus, Bahrain and finally as Associate Professor at the University of Balamand in Lebanon, a post he took when most people his age were retiring. He stayed for more than a decade. Living and working in the Middle East brought many adventures, from flash floods in the desert to conflict on his doorstep, but Philip felt it was a privilege to work in such a fascinating region, where he could teach students and make friends from so many backgrounds. It provided inspiration for one or two of his books.
Philip retired in 2017 to the family home in Sherborne, Dorset. He died in March 2023 after three years of illness. Philip is survived by his wife, children and four grandchildren.
The Blair family