Cynthia "CJ" Joan August Philbrick

Cynthia Joan August Philbrick (“CJ”), age 76, passed away on August 14, 2025, in Virginia Beach, Virginia, surrounded by her family. Born in Denver, Colorado, in 1949, CJ lived a life filled with love, laughter, music, and adventure.

CJ grew up in McLean, Virginia, where she attended McLean High School before earning her BA from Lake Forest College in Illinois and later her MBA from the University of Connecticut. She went on to build a long and successful career as a human resources executive, where her gift for connecting with people and her unwavering sense of fairness left a lasting impact on all who worked with her.

In 1978, CJ married the love of her life, Kendl (“Ken”) Price Philbrick. Together they shared over four decades of love and partnership, traveling the world, cruising the seas with dear friends, and building a home filled with warmth, laughter, and music.

Family was at the center of CJ’s heart. She was a devoted mother to her daughter Carrie Philbrick Campbell, her son Christopher Philbrick, and her daughter-in-law, Christine Ondo Philbrick. She was a proud grandmother to Madeleine Campbell, Evelyn Philbrick, Jules Campbell, and Justin Philbrick. She is also survived by her sister Elizabeth (“Buffie”) Olack, her niece Casi Borrelli, and her nephews Greg August and Brian Olack. She was predeceased by her parents, James Perry August and Catherine Davis August, her siblings, James August and Nancy August, her niece, Joanie Stiltz, and her nephews, Jeff August and Michael Stiltz.

CJ had a zest for life and a wide range of passions. She was an avid reader, never far from a book or her beloved Kindle. She loved golfing, crafting, singing in the church choir, and entertaining friends and family. Music was always in the background of her life—whether it was her favorite records playing at home or her joyful voice singing along. Those who knew her best will remember her fun-loving spirit, her laughter that filled a room, and the way she lived passionately and wholeheartedly.

A celebration of CJ’s life will be held on Friday, September 26, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. at Wellspring United Methodist Church in Williamsburg, Virginia.

CJ’s legacy lives on in the laughter of her grandchildren, the songs she loved to sing, and the countless lives she touched with her warmth, kindness, and joy.