Death
Funeral
HINMAN, Philip Grant.
Phil was the oldest child of Grant and Fay Hinman. Scott, his brother, predeceased him. His sister Narda Dudley lives in North Carolina and Lori Leavitt, his younger sister, lives in Lethbridge, Alberta. Phil married Diana Hunter in 1970 and they have a daughter, Susan, a son, Justin and a daughter in law, Emi. Phil was the proud grandfather to Edin and Reid as well as uncle and great-uncle to many nieces and nephews and brother in law to Stephen, Larry, Kathy, Rose and the late Ann.
Phil grew up in Cardston, Alberta, where he helped with his father’s purebred Herefords and sometimes cleaned the windows at the family pharmacy. He enjoyed a lot of freedom as he grew up, riding his pony out into the foothills. He was a Queen’s Scout.
Phil went on to the University of Lethbridge, working at Customs at Carway and Chief Mountain border to put himself through school. He was a natural English Major, a bookworm since childhood. After that came time at the University of Alberta in Edmonton with large doses of Shakespeare, Webster, Donne, and Milton. He met his future wife, Diana, while in Edmonton.
In 1970, Phil and Diana came East so Phil could go to Western University and then on to Althouse. During the Watergate scandal, Phil and Diana were moving to Essex County for Phil’s first teaching job at Belle River. By 1974, now with baby Susan, he started his long teaching years at Dunnville Secondary. He was lucky to join a vibrant English Dept where many students remember him as strict but fair, wearing his unforgettable cowboy boots! He expected a lot of his students, encouraging them to push past comfort zones. He introduced them to eclectic authors, produced plays with them, took them on class trips, and instigated Arts Night.
Phil retired in 2001, and his gardening passion turned to orchids. He belonged to several local orchid societies and would clerk and judge for their shows, as well as earning many prizes himself. Phil enjoyed the Niagara Symphony Orchestra, the Brock music series, and the Buffalo Chamber Orchestra. A highlight of his retirement was a trip to the Chicago Jazz Festival. Phil and Diana visited every art gallery they could during their travels, from the Rijks to the Barnes.
All this, but his family was his soft spot – he adored us all, always supportive and providing for us with incredible loyalty. Phil died at home with Diana beside him. One more day and he’d have seen his precious Buffalo Bills beat the Chiefs. The family would like to thank the caring PSWs.
Memorial visitation will be held Saturday November 30th from 2:00 to 4:00 pm at JW Hart Funeral Home, 113 Lock St East Dunnville. Please, in lieu of flowers, donations, if desired, to the Dunnville Hospital & Healthcare Foundation ( dhhf.ca ). Online condolences jwhartfuneralhome.com.
Always had great conversations with him at school and at my photography business. I remember him as a gentle soul with varied interests. He will be remembered!
My condolences to his family
Rest in Peace, Phil. Condolences to Diana, Justin and Susan and their families. Lee and Sue
so sorry for your loss Susan…..
Mr. Hinman was by far the best teacher I ever had. He even taught me grade 11 and 12 drama in the grade 10 class because there weren’t enough students to run the grade 11+12 classes. I will never forget how we could be reading Shakespear and miss a “the” or another insignificant word and even though he didn’t have the book infront of him, he would correct us! Such a passion for education. I am so lucky to have had him as a part of my life.
My condolences to the family.
I remember in one of his senior classes I chose a Canadian literature book to read from the choices we were assigned. Mr. Hinman recommended I read something else. I did. Years later I read the book I had originally chosen. He was right!
He touched may lives in his illustrious career. May Mr. Hinman’s soul rest in peace.
He was such an inspiration to his students. He instilled the love of Shakespeare in me and I always looked forward to his classes. I can only imagine the loss his loved ones feel at this time. Know that I give my heart felt condolences. He will be missed by many.
Really enjoyed my high school English classes with Mr. Hinman. He made English fun and interesting!
So very sorry to hear of his passing.
Mr Hinman was my English teacher as well as my drama teacher, he introduced me to the love of literature as well as attitude was an an important asset. A wonderful teacher
My all time favorite teacher… rest in peace
Mister Hinman was my grade eleven English teacher at DSS (the 1984-1985 school year).
He was a low key, yet effective teacher, whipping a bit of culture on us farm kids.
He had a soft spot for bookworm students like me, discussing with equal fervor; banal pulp novels as well as highbrow stuff like Voltaire and the Stoics.
I remember rumpled tweed jackets, with leather elbow patches, cowboy boots, and smoking with the cool kids in the staff parking lot off of Lock Street.
As the years went by, he would pop into my mind once in a while as do all of those characters who left impressions on us. One of the more luminous streetlights on the winding road of my life.
Condolences to the family.
A pleasure to have met him this year and care for him. One of my favourite teachers! He saw something in me.. that I could not see.
My condolences Susan and family. Your father influenced many lives and will always be remembered.
Sincerest condolences to Mr. Hinman’s family and close friend. He was a much loved teacher whose memory remains with many of his students to this day, including me. I ran into him just a handful of times after high school and he always took time out to stop and talk with me.
In reading his obituary, it was wonderful to read he had a life a life well lived and was able to spend his retirement spending time with his family and doing what he enjoyed most.
My sincere condolences Diana, Susan and Justin.
You were a kind and gentle man Phil and you had a great passion for books and orchids. You were a great friend and neighbour to me and my family. I could always rely on Mr. Hinman for a ride to school in the morning when I slept in and missed the bus…Thank you.
Rest in peace Phil.
So very sorry for ur loss what a grand fellow he was
Always looked forward to English class because a very unique and special teacher. Thank you Mr Hinman you made a difference for many of us!
Condolences to Diana and family.
Mr Hinman was a wonderful teacher who always had time to chat before or after class. I recently reconnected with him and had some great chats while caring for for him.
Thanks for the memories!!!
(s)He should have died hereafter;
There would have been a time for such a word.
To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury
Signifying nothing
Thank you for the words, The Enemy of the People, and the love of Bliss Carmen.
So sorry to hear of Phil’s death. He is not forgotten by students or their parents.
A life well lived.
Condolences to all.
Mr. Hinman was my favourite teacher in high school. He inspired me to go on to English in University, and helped me gain some practical experience volunteering with his senior classes. I remember thinking he must be a genius to remember every single line of Macbeth… that was, until I’d taught it for five years or so and could quote it like he did. After teaching English for 30+ years and retiring myself, I have great admiration for this man that was such a positive early influence on me and on my future career as a teacher. “The Rest is Silence”.
Mr. Hinman was such a great teacher, he will be so fondly remembered by many students who passed through his classroom. Condolences to Susan and all the family. RIP Mr. Hinman.
I had so much fun in his Drama class, and he nurtured my “talent” to the point that I damn near pursued Fine Arts/Drama in post-secondary. My abhorrent final grade in OAC English prevented that full stop (with apologies to Phil and Mr. Tuttle).
Rest easy, Mr. Hinman. Us Dunnville kids were very lucky to have you in our lives.
I am so sorry for your loss. My condolences to the family.
I will always remember Mr. Hinman as a bright light in the English department. His drama classes were equal parts challenging (memorizing soliloquies) and joyful (during improv). He was a teacher that cared about his students and that feeling stays with you long after high school has ended.
Our condolences go out to Diana, Justin and Susan. Phil was a Colleague, friend and a real gentleman, and he will be missed and remembered fondly by the many students he reached in his career. May he rest in peace.
I’m sorry to hear of Mr. Hinman’s passing. I have many fond memories of him as my high school English teacher and Drama teacher. I’ll never forget Shakespeare’s birthday because of him. My sincere condolences to Susan and Justin and their families.
Condolences to my Auntie Diana and my cousins Susan and Justin.
Although our side of the family live in England, we’ve met Diana, Phil, Susan and Justin many times over the years,
usually when they’ve come over to the UK but we also had a memorable trip to see them in Lowbanks in the 1980s
which is etched in my memory. It was my first experience of North America and it was wonderful to see my Canadian family on their side of the Atlantic. I remember the many books on the shelves, the intellectual conversations (I’m pretty sure Shakespeare came up but all sorts of other interesting topics as well). He drove us in his GMC to see a local road called Rattlesnake Lane, I found that so thrilling, as a child from London I didn’t come across things like rattlesnakes or big GMC trucks.
Above all, I remember a lovely, clever, funny person.
Rest in peace Uncle Phil.
In Mr.Hinman’s Grade 12 English class, when learning about poetry, he paired us up and made us waltz to nonsensical poems written in iambic pentameter. I will never forget:
“Superman’s telephone
lived by the broccoli
after the elephants
Rampaged last Saturday.”
Thank you for the memories, Mr. Hinman.
Susan, Justin, and Mr and Mrs. Hinman are tangled up in so many of my early memories as our two families spent time together. A Wainfleet-Dunnville childhood with occasional trips to the Hamilton Philharmonic. Mr. Hinman was always a little larger than life to me.
I had the absolute honour of doing student teaching in my second year of Con-Ed with him. He taught me to slow down when speaking, though I will never have his gravitas. I was shocked that he wore his cowboy boots in the classroom and had all of the Shakespeare texts memorized. Many years later, I still think of his lessons with gratitude, and on occasion channel Mr. Hinman in my own classroom.
He was an exceptional man, and I hope wherever his spirit is, he has a good book.
Phil was a great orchid friend. He always supported the Niagara Society when we did displays at the various shows. A lot of time Phil’s plants made up 50% of our display. I have several of his plants in the greenhouse and they are still winning ribbons. He always gave me great advice on how to grow some of the more difficult species. Our condolences to the family, he will be missed.
Sending my condolences to your family on the passing of Phil. It’s been great being your neighbour for the past many years. Thinking of your family during this difficult time.
Mr. Hinman was one of the best teachers I ever had. He was a great gift to me. His love of literature, his students, and great pedagogy moved me. His excellence as a teacher inspired me to become a teacher, and I often think about him and the model of excellence he was for me. May his memory be a blessing, Susan, Diana, and Justin.
Our condolences from Glasgow.
We have a range of lovely memories when we managed to meet up, both in Canada and at Soss Moss Cottage.
Philip and I taught English and directed plays at Belle River in 1973-1974. Over the years, Deirdre and I enjoyed our visits to Lowbanks and when Diana and Philip came to Toronto, we went to concerts and plays.
Philip had strong opinions and great enthusiasms. I looked forward to hearing about the books that he had read and the movies and PBS shows that he found interesting. He was a wonderful gardener and gave us orchids and lilies which are still flourishing in our garden.
Philip was a great friend, a boon companion and a good person. I will miss him dearly.
Mr Hinman was a brilliant teacher and a personal favourite of mine. He was always a delight to talk with, and I looked forward to every one of his classes. It was very meaningful to me to have known such a unique and inspiring person at a formative time in my life. I will always think back on him fondly. My condolences Justin and Susan.
Our condolences to Diana, Susan, Justin and family. Phil was a well respected teacher, colleague, and friend. Beyond the classroom he modestly shared his love of books, music, orchid cultivation, and all blooming plants. Fond memories always.
Bob and Luci Ronald
So sorry to hear of the passing of Mr. Hinman. Sorry to his family for your loss. Our deepest condolences. From Liz Koster: He was one of my favourite teachers. Always calm, always fair, and he would mouth all the words to Macbeth as the class read their parts. I was impressed. He was good to me and a true teacher – one that I learned from – more than just schoolwork – I learned to not sweat the small stuff. May you find peace and enjoy the memories.
I was fortunate to be a student at DSS when Mr. Hinman joined the staff. He directed our class in a production of Faustus and arranged a dramatic exchange with a school in Toronto. He opened his home for the cast party, serving his wife’s quiche Lorraine. We were so impressed with our very cool teacher. Rest in peace, Mr. Hinman.
My condolences to Diana and family on the loss of Phil. I met Phil my first day as a very new teacher at DSS and at first I was intimidated by him, his beard and his intellect. I soon came to learn that he was also incredibly funny, thoughtful, caring and dedicated to his students. I fondly remember Phil spending many lunch hours teaching me grammar in exchange for work that needed to be done on the computer! May your fond memories give you comfort during this difficult time.
I remember in 1978 when I arrived at DSS, a newly minted English teacher, to join the department where Phil was one of the cornerstones. In the department office, he sat in the same chair around the conference table near the window every day. Affable and with his unruly hair, I was impressed by how easy he made teaching seem. He helped me more than once to navigate the maze of pedagogy and find my feet. I remember the day he came in with a plastic bag full of carrot sticks. He had decided to quit smoking. Pacing the room, he chewed on them trying valiantly to substitute them for nicotine. I remember the Monday he came in to tell us how many trees he’d planted that weekend. He was planting a forest to be his children’s inheritance. Those trees would be 35 years old now, a fitting legacy. I expect some of the culls ended up in that blazing fire by the chair in the book filled room in the photograph at the top of the page. That room is so Phil. One day in December he offered members of the department evergreen trees for their homes to decorate for Christmas. I was living in a small apartment, so he brought me a little tree just three feet tall which filled my living room with pine scent. It was so thoughtful of him. Once he asked me to teach his drama students how to dance as he felt they needed that experience, so we changed places for three afternoons and while I taught his students rudimentary dance moves, he taught my students Macbeth. For him it was dawdle. He carried the Bard in his head, perfectly remembered. And so to Phil I say “Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.” To his family, my sincerest condolences.
I first met Phil, my brother-in-law, in 1970 when on holiday in Canada from the UK. He and Diana were moving from Edmonton to London Ontario, in a car pulling a U-haul, and I travelled with them. A memorable 3 day trip.! Later, I was at their wedding.
I remember the visit Andrew describes, Rattlesnake Lane and all.. I had other visits, as did my parents, and I remember Phil as the perfect host, looking after his English guests with books, music, tapes, great cooking and trips out – Niagara, L Michigan, the finger lakes, the races.. We always really enjoyed our visits, and my parents would also be sorry to hear the news.
Condolences to Diana, Susan and Justin.
Phil was a treasured friend to us both. Significantly, he was the first friend John made when he came to Canada in 1969, and John remembers Phil’s infectious humour and artistic enthusiams, especially his sharing John’s first theatre production in Canada. John can see and hear Phil’s fine performance of Yeats’ Cuchulain to this day. Emma looks back fondly on meeting Phil in St. Catherine’s while attending the AASSC Conference with John; she felt an immediate connection to him, his warmth and humour making her feel as though they had known each other for a long time. We would like to express our condolences to Diana and the rest of the family. Phil was a special person and will be very much missed.
Love John and Emma
I was so sorry to hear of Mr. Hinman’s passing. He was one of my favourite teachers in high school. We shared a love of all things drama and I looked forward to his classes so much! I remember a smart, kind and gentle man with a wicked sense of humour. I am grateful to have known him and wish his family peace and comfort as they navigate this terrible loss.
We lived side by side in Lowbanks for many years, and Phil and his wife were great neighbours to my parents, especially after we flew the coup. He was also my teacher at Dunnville High & I can attest to his great love of Shakespeare & his sort of hippy look in cowboy boots :). We also saw his love of orchids first hand when he retired & know he took much joy out of trying to produce the perfect specimen. He had a unique sense of humour & I wish we had time for just one more chat. Rest in peace, Mr. Hinman.
My deepest sympathies and condolences to you Susan and your family on your loss. Phil and my father Shirley always had a special relationship and my dad was always encouraging me to enunciate clearly with Phil as the exemplar. He will be missed.
My deepest condolences for Justin, Susan and Diane.
Phil was a wonderfully kind and generous soul, a valued member of our orchid society, constantly giving away divisions of plants to newer members with words of advice and encouragement. Always a joy to talk to about plants, the state of the world, or jazz ( his love of guitarist Bill Frisell..). My deepest condolences to Diana, Susan, Justin, Emi and the family.
I was profoundly saddened to hear of Phil’s passing. Sincere condolences from my family to Diana, Justin, Susan and families. Phil and I started teaching at DSS the same year. Phil had great power of observation and opinion on many topics: Politics, Music, Sports, Education, and Finance (when we started to get our heads above water). Phil was a walking thesaurus of great quotations. Phil and I taught very different subjects, so our friendship, together with several other younger Teachers, revolved around socializing out of school. So many good memories I don’t ever want to give up. I won’t forget Poker nights, beer and potato chips, smoking, Patsy Cline music, Trees, Football Pools and great conversation. Good-bye Phil.
Condolences to Diana, Susan, Justin Emi Edin and Reid. Rest easy in peace dear cousin. It was always most enjoyable when the occasion to gather and converse arose, though all together too few and such shall be very missed.
Mr. Hinman was the best English teacher ever. Made learning fun and exciting. My sincerest condolences to his family and friends for the loss of such a magnificent soul.
Mr. Hinman was an amazing English teacher, but an even better Theatre teacher. He could see through the masks of teenage angst to bring out the true creative spirit within. His love of literature was effortlessly passed on to students and he inspired me to follow the path of great literature.
I have always remembered his inspiration and I will continue to do so. He was a mentor even after high school.
Who could forget the cowboy boots hooked into the bottom rungs of the stool he sat on while reciting Beckett?
My condolences to his family.
My condolences to the family, we will miss you Phil
Best teacher I ever had and I was a lousy student. Will never forget you Mr. Hinman. Rest in peace
So sad to see this. Just learned of Mr Hinman’s passing. He encouraged me at DSS to be the best version of myself and even managed to help me get an A in OAC English which was very rare for a math nerd in Mr Tuttle’s English class! He was a great man and an amazingly patient teacher. RIP Mr. Hinman. Prayers to the family and friends you have left behind.
Although I did not do well in his English class, Mr. Hinman somehow conveyed a belief in some potential in me. He was an excellent teacher and I share his love of orchids, though I am sure his knowledge was far deeper than mine. My sincere condolences to his family and friends, he was a very positive influence on so many throughout his life.
My condolences to Diana, Justin and Susan (who I went to school with), and their families. Mr. Hinman had a remarkable influence on my life as both my English and Drama teacher, his words and lessons still echo in my ears. My favourite fieldtrip was going to the Brock monument and singing as a group Stan Rogers folk song, “MacDonnell on the Heights.” May he rest in peace.