Phillips Clark Sweet was born Dec. 5, 1937, in Franklin, New Hampshire, to Ruth Clark and Phillips Bennett Sweet. He died peacefully at age 87 on Sept. 11, 2025, in Madison, surrounded by family who dearly loved him.
Phil grew up in Swanzey Center, New Hampshire, graduating from Keene High School. Phil went on to graduate from The Citadel, Charleston, South Carolina, a military college he loved. He served two years in the Army, one of those in Korea where he volunteered in orphanages. It was there he decided to become a minister. His choice of a seminary was Andover Newton Theological School in Newton, Massachuesetts.
Phil and Sharon met at Camp Jened, Hunter, New York, a camp serving handicapped children and adults. In four day’s time they were engaged.
After marrying they began raising a family, first in Newton, then in Minnesota where Phil served two rural churches on the prairie, in Campbell and Tintah. While there, he did an exchange ministry of six months in Cowdenbeath, Scotland, with his young family. In 1970 the Sweets moved to Sturgeon Bay, with Phil accepting the call to serve Hope United Church of Christ. A second ministerial exchange happened in 1975, this time in Glasgow, Scotland. He was inquisitive and loved learning, graduating in 1978 with a Doctor of Ministry degree from Chicago Theological Seminary and later graduating from NW Technical College in the diesel mechanic program.
He loved canoeing the Boundary Waters of Minnesota, taking youth groups and adult groups every year for his entire ministry, also planning many family trips. He led youth and adult work camps at Back Bay Mission, Biloxi, Mississippi, for many years. A 1996 trek in the Himalayas with 20 Hope Church members and friends was a highlight of his career.
Phil retired from Hope Church in 1998, eager to be a student at The Carpenter’s Boat Shop in Pemaquid, Maine. Living in Maine for two years brought him back to his New England roots. In retirement he hiked the Appalachian Trail and three times El Camino De Santiago in Spain.
Phil was a polar bear on New Year’s Day, avid reader, storyteller, lover of art and music, guitarist, weaver, world traveler, a good listener and friend, and above all a devoted husband, father, and grandpa.
He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Sharon; children Heidi ( Mark), Phillips, Heather (Timo), grandsons Taylor (Kelsey), Evan (Brynn), Matias (Claire), Johannes, Kalle, and step grandson, Bradley; brother Duncan (Ruthie), sister-in-law Doris Ann Sweet, and three nieces, Betsy, Martha, and Leah. He was predeceased by a brother, Douglas.
In the words of his favorite children’s story, “It was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day” when Phil left us.
A memorial service will be held on October 18th, Saturday, at 2 pm at Hope Church.
In lieu of flowers, any memorials received will be used towards a scholarship fund to be established in Phil’s memory.