Angus J. Whyte: April 8, 1937 – March 6, 2019
Angus J. Whyte: April 8, 1937 – March 6, 2019
A Tribute by thom grexa phillips
Following a brief illness, Angus J Whyte passed away peacefully in the loving arms of his husman thomas grexa phillips on March 6, 2019 in Palm Springs, California to where he had moved in 2018. He was highly regarded for his raconteur wit, generosity of spirit, mischievous sense of humor, and his discerning tastes in music, art and cuisine. He was 81 years old.
Angus offered many contributions of administrative and financial acumen in his service to many communities, most recently for the last 25 years in the SF Bay Area. From his administrative stewardship of the fledgling SF LGBT Community Center, to his reviving and operating Art for Healing, a charity designed to accept original works of art by donation and place them in hospitals and healing centers, Angus’ ethics, devotion and commitment never wavered.
Angus Whyte was born April 8, 1937 in Carmichael, CA to Angus Joseph Whyte Sr. and to Rachel Valerie Davidson. He graduated early from McClatchy High School in Sacramento, CA, and continued his studies and earned degrees from the University of California-Berkeley and the University of Washington. He also completed the Executive Training program in Administration from Harvard University.
Angus had an eternal love of French language and cuisine. He earned a Fulbright Fellowship to teach English at a secondary school in Mentón, France in 1959. In 1989, he fell in love with an abandoned tower in a village in SW Central France in the Dordogne region and realized a splendid renovation of the three-story property in Belvès, France.
His love of music earned a fellowship at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam in harpsichord studies with renowned harpsichordist Gustav Leonhart in The Netherlands in 1963. He continued his studies with an internship at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg, Austria in 1964. Angus enjoyed donning the gay apparel of the 18th century as he played his beloved music written by Haydn, and Bach. At one time he insisted he did not want to play any music written after 1769.
Angus published a series of memoirs and short stories entitled “After-Dinner Tales” in 2013, currently available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble websites. He was commissioned to write a biography of a company celebrating its centennial in San Diego, CA in 1994. He was completing a second volume of tales entitled “The Lavender Blade” when he fell ill and died.
Angus is survived by his spouse, and his sister, Bonnie Whyte, of Pt. Townsend, WA, as well as numerous cousins currently living in various parts of California and Michigan.
Contributions may be made in Angus’ memory to the Huntington Disease Society of America, the Arthritis Foundation, and the Point Foundation.
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