Obituary of Cornelius (Con) Phipps

Cornelius (Con) Phipps passed away at the Queensway Carleton Hospital in Ottawa on September 3, 2025 at the age of 93. Con was born in Brixton, London, England and was the youngest of nine children. His father Charles, was a milkman and his mother Sarah, prior to raising children, was a house servant. Working class beginnings and memories of the terrors of the London Blitz were foundational echos throughout his life. He left school at the age of 13 and became a tea boy in a Barristers’ Chambers at the Inns of Court in Central London. From making tea, to administrative duties, he ultimately rose to the role of Barristers’ Clerk. He performed his National Service with the British Army in occupied Germany following in the footsteps of his brothers who fought in the Second World War and his father who fought in the First. In 1964, he and his wife Pam immigrated to Ottawa, Canada with their two children, Jane and Mark. In Ottawa, Con retrained as an insurance Claims Adjuster and then progressively taking more senior roles, Con retired as General Manager of the Ottawa branch of the Economical Mutual Insurance Company. When his wife Pam died after 61 years of marriage, Con would go on to marry Daisy and enjoy 8 happy years together.

Con had a keen intellect, a sharp sense of humour and a gift for storytelling. HIs stories of the working class in south London, the stories of loss in war, the wit of Winston Churchill and Oscar Wilde, the great tenors of Italian opera, history, court cases, democracy, english football, and of course hockey. Con could speak well on many topics and did. Those stories live on in the memories of family and friends that he leaves behind, Daisy and her children Jawmher, Sigrid, and Buen Marc; and Con’s children Jane (Ottawa), Martin (Imelda) (Taiwan), Mark (Louise)(Canmore, Alberta) and grandchildren Suzanne (Matt) (Calgary, Alberta), Samuel (Lauren) (London England) and Michael and Ian (Philippines). The cremation has taken place. Special thanks to Daisy and the Palliative team at the Queensway Carleton Hospital for their care of Con in his final days."