Philip Lee Cannan, Jr.

Philip Lee Cannan, Jr. passed away on October 11, 2024, from respiratory failure after suffering from dementia for many years and a recent stroke. During his final days, Philip was surrounded by his wife of fifty-three years, Judith Proctor Cannan, and his daughter, Georgina C. Cannan. 

Philip was born on November 4, 1945, in Charleston, SC, to Philip L. Cannan, Sr. and Catherine Hartmann Cannan, both of whom preceded him in death. After graduating as a National Merit Scholar and valedictorian from Rivers High School in Charleston, he attended Columbia University in New York City, where he studied philosophy and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. After graduating magna cum laude, he went on to attend Cornell University in Ithaca, New York as a graduate student in philosophy. There, on a blind date, he met his wife, Judith, who was working in the Cornell Library. 

The first sixteen years of their marriage were filled with lots of adventures, world travel, and were, according to Judith, “never boring.” After sixteen years, they welcomed their only child, Georgina. Philip devoted himself to being a father. He prized education and homeschooled Georgina from first through eighth grade. His proudest role was undoubtably that of a teacher to his daughter.

Philip had a brilliant mind. He was gifted at mathematics, languages, and philosophy. He was passionate about art and classical music. He was also a deeply complicated and private man, whose mental health struggles impacted much of his life and his ability to connect with others. 

Later in life, Philip had mixed dementia—both from Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. Because Philip was always looking for an opportunity to learn, it feels fitting that his obituary would include some educational information. Dementia describes a group of symptoms of diseases, rather than a disease itself. According to the CDC, roughly 10% of the US population over 65 suffer from some form of dementia. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia. The second most common form of dementia is vascular dementia, which is caused by conditions that block blood flow to the brain, like a stroke. 

Dementia can be incredibly hard to face, and certainly was for Philip, who never accepted his diagnoses. It is also unspeakably hard for the loved ones of someone with the diagnosis. Not only do you have to endure the “long goodbye,” watching your loved one slowly fade away, but it can be extraordinarily challenging to access sufficient resources, particularly if your loved one is unwilling to seek help, and the financial burden for care is significant.  

Dementia can be horrible, terrifying, and cruel; it slowly robs you of everything that it means to be you, with no treatment that can provide a cure—simply an inexorable decline. Yet Philip found peace and serenity and a new sense of purpose with his new personality. In his last months, he became known as the welcoming committee for his new home, Cobbdale Assisted Living. To those that knew him before dementia, his new gregarious personality came as a bit of a surprise. But Judith and Georgina were deeply touched in the days leading up to his death by the beautiful and funny stories about Philip told by Cobbdale staff and visitors and the Goodwin House Hospice staff he had made an impact on. Even in his final months, he taught a new lesson about the joy that can be found in even the most profoundly difficult circumstances. His family is incredibly grateful to the staff at Cobbdale, including his favorite palindrome Atta, for making his last months so special. 

In addition to his wife and daughter, Philip is survived by one sister: Catherine C. Steinbrecher (John) of Ravenel, SC; two brothers: Richard D. Cannan of Norfolk, VA, and Bruce D. Cannan (Kimberly) of Lexington, SC; four nieces: Shelly Beasenburg (Joey), Alison Dixon, Haley Baker (Jordan), and Abigail Cannan; three nephews: Brian Dixon (Susan), Brett Steinbrecher (Darcy), and Andrew Cannan; three great-nieces: Bailey Beasenburg, Riley Beasenburg, and Addilyn Baker; and four great-nephews: Cody Beasenburg, Carter Beasenburg, Ryan Delaney, and Levi Steinbrecher. His brother, Robert W. Cannan, preceded him in death. 

Having navigated the challenges of a dementia diagnosis that at times felt insurmountable, Judith and Georgina request that those wishing to express sympathy donate a memorial contribution to one of these three charities in Philip’s name to provide aid to others in similar circumstances: 

Cure Alzheimer’s Fund. This is a nonprofit organization that uses 100% of donations for Alzheimer's research with the highest probability of preventing, slowing or reversing Alzheimer’s disease. https://curealz.org/giving/donate/

Alzheimer's Association, Arlington, VA. This is a nonprofit organization that provides grants to families with loved ones with dementia for home care agency support. https://www.alz.org/nca/donate 

Goodwin House Hospice. Although Philip was only on hospice for a short time, Goodwin House provided a tremendous amount of comfort to Judith, Georgina, and Philip. Donations help provide hospice support to those for whom financial obstacles might prevent them from seeking the comfort and care they need. https://goodwinliving.org/giving/donation-form-hospice/