Lt. Col. Philip Wellford Hamilton Jr., age 97, died peacefully at his ancestral home “Severnby” on December 25, 2024, with his loving stepson, Kevin Bradford Chesney, by his side. On Christmas Eve, Sven vanBaars, the Rector of Abingdon, came to Severnby to pray the Ministration at the Time of Death for Phil. Upon his death, Phil’s longtime friend and neighbor William Timothy Stiff came to Severnby to pray the Abingdon Episcopal Church Litany at the Time of Death with Kevin. Descended from two Virginia state governors, Thomas Nelson Jr. and John Page, Phil was a gracious man and a true Southern gentleman who had deep connections to Gloucester and an enduring love for Severnby. Designed by a prominent Richmond architect, Marion J. Dimmock, for Phil’s grandfather Alfred Withers, Severnby was constructed in 1892. Phil’s mother, Katherine Page Hamilton, was born on the estate and lived there for most of her life. In 1925, she married Philip Wellford Hamilton of Petersburg, and gave birth to Philip Jr. in Henrico, Virginia, in 1927. Philip Jr. was brought to Severnby shortly after his birth and christened at Abingdon Church. As a toddler, he joined his parents in New York City where his father worked as an engineer and sold advertising. Phil also lived in Los Angeles and Alexandria, Virginia, before returning to Gloucester with his wife, Elizabeth Kathleen Lewis and their children. Upon the family’s return to Gloucester in 1972, Phil and Elizabeth were gifted Severn-by by Phil’s parents, and they would both spend the rest of their lives there. Elizabeth died at Severnby on Feb. 18, 2000. Phil also had a long and distinguished military career. In 1944, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces, serving four years, after which he attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, graduating with the class of 1952. Phil was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, serving with an Infantry Unit of the 188th Airborne stationed in Germany. He was a courageous soldier, a natural leader, and a veteran of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. During his career, he was awarded the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star and multiple other citations. He retired in 1974 from HQ TRADOC, Fort Monroe, Va., having earned his Expert Infantry Badge as a Senior Parachutist. Severnby is not only Phil’s ancestral home; it is also a historic waterfront time capsule of Victorian-era architecture and furnishings. In 2002 it was nearly destroyed by a fire that took five fire companies and 98 volunteer firemen to quell. Thanks to the efforts of these brave volunteers, the home’s historic furnishings were saved, and the structure was able to be restored. Restoration was so successful that no trace of the fire remains. In 2004, Phil found love again with Marilyn Carver Chesney who, in 2005, moved across the country from Irvine, Calif., to become the second mistress of Severnby. During their 19 blissful years together, Phil and Marilyn graciously shared their home with the community, hosting numerous events. In 2020, at the age of 92, Phil was badly injured in a horrific car accident. His characteristic strength, valor, and leadership played a vital role in his recovery as he battled back from a severe brain bruise and spinal cord injury, with his devoted wife Marilyn and stepson Kevin by his side. Phil’s battle ended on Christmas morning when he went to be with his wife Marilyn in heaven. Phil is survived by his children, Elizabeth Lewis Buchanan, Ann Randolph Leonard, Patrick Alexander Hamilton, Kathleen Ann Hamilton, and Marilyn’s children, Kevin Bradford Chesney, Christopher Ronald Chesney, Scott Robert Hoover, and Col. Michael Alan Chesney. The family would like to thank the good people of Riverside Health System, Direct Access Internal Medicine, and especially the individual caregivers for their years of support and care for both Phil and Marilyn. Phil’s funeral will be held on Saturday, January 25, 2025, at Abingdon Episcopal Church at 10 a.m. and conducted by the Rev. Sven vanBaars. The interment with full military honors will take place in the church cemetery followed by a reception in the social hall.

Services will be under the direction of Hogg Funeral Home.