Philip N. Desmarais

Philip N. Desmarais, age 63, died unexpectedly on Sunday, June 7, 2026 in Provincetown, Massachusetts. He died drinking his morning coffee on MacMillan Pier, watching the sun rise over Provincetown. Phil was born on October 2, 1962 in Nashua, New Hampshire, son of Robert J. Desmarais and Blanche (Caron) Desmarais. He was a graduate of Bishop Guertin High School and Hesser College.

After finishing his formal schooling, Phil went on to have an endless array of adventures. In New Hampshire, he was owner/operator of a record/CD store, handled property management duties for Red Oak Apartments, and was a licensed broker at Fidelity Investments. Leaving New Hampshire, he soon found his way to his beloved Provincetown. There he worked initially as a restaurant host/barker and raved especially about his experience at Bayside Betsy’s. He also drove a cab for several years, always happy to tell newcomers about the intricacies of Provincetown history. At one point, his fascination with early Provincetown artists, especially Henry Henche and his wife, Ada Rayner, led him to open the Henry Philips Gallery at Whaler’s Wharf. More recently, Phil was doing medical transports, taking patients to their medical appointments, mostly at a wide range of Boston health care facilities. He claimed not to mind driving in Boston traffic but acknowledged that doing so was not for the faint of heart.

Phil was vigorously outgoing, hard to ignore, a free spirit, and a reliable, even enthusiastic employee, whatever the job of the moment might be. He touched many lives, especially during his years in Provincetown. He is survived by his older brother, Henry, his sister-in-law, Cathie, his nephews, Mark and Michael, and their respective families, and by many cousins and friends.

A funeral mass will be held Wednesday, July 8, 2026 at 11:00 AM at St. Peter the Apostle Church, 11 Prince St, Provincetown, MA 02657. A private committal service will be held in Nashua, NH.

For those interested in making a donation in Phil's memory, the family suggests the Soup Kitchen in Provincetown (SKIP), www.skipfood.org.