Obituary of Waldron Philip Hepditch

It is with profound sadness that we announce the sudden passing of Waldron Philip ‘Phil’ Hepditch, on May 10^th, 2024, at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital.

Born on June 19, 1957, in Trenton, Ontario, Phil was the cherished son of Waldron “Wally” Hepditch and the late Irene (Montague) Hepditch. Phil obtained his certificate in commercial diving at Seneca College in Toronto and relocated to Fredericton where he was employed as an underwater welder on the Westmorland Street bridge. Upon completion of the bridge in 1981, Phil was hired by NB Power as an apprentice in the power engineering program and worked at the Grand Lake generating station until it closed in 2009. Being too young to retire, Phil, at the age of 52, became the oldest apprentice in New Brunswick for NB Power and enrolled in a four-year electrical mechanic program (#91) and worked at the Marysville office until he retired as a supervisor in April of 2023. Jokingly, his colleagues preferred to call him ‘regularvisor’, as they implied there wasn’t anything “super” about him.

Phil had a deep appreciation for life and truly grasped how precious our time is. If he caught you sleeping in, he was quick to tell you the day was half over and that you needed to learn to "sleep fast" or get the Ozonol.

There were very few friends or family members that Phil didn’t have a nickname for. And when he called you by your assigned nickname, it was delivered with a few extra decibels. LOVEBIRD!  He was also known for his “Phil-isms”, sayings that were unique to Phil, such as “a chicken is only a bird”. If you yawned, he stuck his finger in your mouth; left food or a drink unattended, he took it for his own; had your socks on, well he pulled them off. This was not just to annoy, but rather his way of expressing love.

His love of sports led him to spending many hours and days in hockey arenas with his two sons, coaching, assisting, and watching them play. ‘Pup Pup’ rarely missed his grandchildren’s activities. He would pester them before a hockey or ringette game, advising them “don’t you wave to me”, but had to chuckle after his grandson’s hat trick, when he pointed to him, waved, and then blew him a kiss.

Phil was a devoted Toronto Maple Leafs fan and was convinced, every year, for 57 years that this was the year. Phil enjoyed golf and was a member of the Kingswood Golf Club, he was also a member of the Nashwaaksis Y Service Club. If not on the golf course, Phil could be found roaming throughout the campground at River Run Resort -where he was affectionately known as ‘The Mayor’, giving advice, tormenting his neighbors, or lending a helping hand.

In addition to the love for his family, Phil had a passion for travel that was fulfilled by his many adventures with Patti. He recently enjoyed a family trip to Florida and was looking forward to a visit with his dad in Trenton in a few weeks. He was also counting down the days with his granddaughter for an upcoming family trip to the Netherlands. The last two winters spent at The Villages in Florida, resulted in some of his closest friendships.

Besides his loving wife Patti, Phil is survived by his father Waldron; sons, Justin Hepditch (Michelle) of Fredericton, Josh Hepditch (Kathryn) of Moncton, their mother Kim; step-daughters, Tricia Van Roeden (Harmen) of Fredericton, Stephanie Langley (Branton) of Pasadena, NL, Lesley Daniels (Kirk Chapman) of Fredericton; his beloved grandchildren: Claire (Hi Claire), William (Wally), Theo (Baby Phil), Angus (Guster), Dierks (the Dierkster), Mila (Queenie), Cobie (Cobie Cheese), Ava (Sister), Alex (Attiman), Tayten (Brother), Christiana (CJ), and Eliza (Pooney); sisters, Cathy Fleming (Gary), Audrey Butterfield (Rod), and Louise Whaley (Richard), several nieces, nephews,  cousins, and many cherished friends.

Visitation will take place at York Funeral Home, 302 Brookside Drive, Fredericton on Monday, May 20, 2024, from 2 - 4 pm and 6 – 8 pm. A Celebration of Life will take place at the Fredericton Inn, 1315 Regent Street, on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, at 12 pm. Interment will take place at a later date. For those who wish, remembrances may be made to the Brendon Oreto Foundation or a charity of donor’s choice. Personal condolences may be offered through www.yorkfh.com