I've been asked by my good friend, Mattisse, to inform the Wikipedia community of Philcha's death on June 4, 2012. I really didn't know Philcha well, he was one of those editors who was always there, always helping, with very little drama. I've just spent the last few minutes looking over Philcha's talk page. His interests were broad, from science fiction to zoology. While our loss is not as great as that of the wife he leaves behind him, it is still considerable.

While Mattisse is not able to edit directly, I think I can do no better than quoting what she says in her email to me.

Philcha struggled for three years with his aggressive brain tumor, always continuing to try to edit wikipedia. Others knew of his struggles and were kind about his obviously failing abilities. He kept in regular contact with me. I can't write this without becoming overwhelmed with a painful sorrow. He was so upbeat and special and above all, kind. He had just written me that he had already lived two years beyond the one year he was given after diagnosis, but his deterioration was evident. He never complained.

--Wehwalt (talk) 21:23, 10 June 2012 (UTC)

---

Philip Chalmers, called Philcha at Wikipedia, was taken ill on 3 December 2009 and diagnosed as having a brain tumour – a grade 4 glioblastoma multiforme. Following a debulking operation in Kings College Hospital, London, on 31 December 2009 (cutting out the inside of the tumour), Philip has received radiotherapy and chemotherapy at Maidstone Hospital from mid-February to the end of March 2010, and courses of chemotherapy at times later.

The average life expectancy for patients with grade 4 primary brain cancers is 1 year. To date Philip has survived for 2¼ years and is hoping to have several more productive years.

Please mention no names!

I don't do Featured Articles, as I reckon I can do at least 2 Good Articles in the same time, which is better for readers. This and the first paragraph of this are good examples of the extra work required for FAs.

Arts and literature

Dragon's Egg — Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets — Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone — James White (author) — Robert Rossen — Sector General

Chess

Alexander Alekhine — Adolf Anderssen — Emanuel Lasker — Howard Staunton — Wilhelm Steinitz

Video games

4X (with Randomran) — Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares — Warcraft: Orcs & Humans

Paleontology

Evolutionary history of life — Fossils of the Burgess Shale (with Smith609) — Kimberella (with Smith609) — Opabinia — Paleontology (with Smith609) — Small shelly fauna

Sport

Jim Baxter — Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares — Warcraft: Orcs & Humans

Zoology

Annelid — Arthropod — Brachiopod — Bryozoa — Chelicerata — Cnidaria — Ctenophora (phylum) — Entoprocta — Flatworm — Maevia inclemens — Mollusca — Nemertea — Phaeacius — Phoronid — Portia fimbriata — Portia labiata — Portia schultzi — Spider (GA reassessment) — Sponge

http://en.wikipedia.org/key/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Video_games/Reference_library

Agronomic revolution — Jim Baxter — Halofolliculina corallasia — Maevia inclemens — Microbial mat — Phaeacius — Phidippus clarus — Portia fimbriata — Portia labiata — Phylactolaemata — Precambrian rabbit — Turbellaria

Arts

Culture series — Mambo (film)

Natural sciences

Ausktribosphenidae — Carrier's constraint — Chancelloriidae — Coracoid — Crurotarsal — Dead Clade Walking — Debate about Cambrian Lophotrochozoans _{if not merged later} — Epipubic bone — Evolution of mammals — End-Botomian mass extinction — Epidermis (zoology) — Follicle (anatomy) — Gut (zoology) — Interclavicle — Kuehneotheriidae — Meckelian groove — Microbial mat — Operculum (animal) — Pedicel (spider) — Portia schultzi — Sinotubulites — Suture (anatomical)

Everyday life

Alan Emrich — Development of the World Chess Championship _{if not merged later} — Staunton–Morphy controversy

Engineering and technology

History of IBM mainframe operating systems — OS/360 and successors

Social sciences and society

Memory confusion protocol

Arts & entertainment

Homer the Moe — Phineas and Ferb — The Rejected — Rocket Science (film)

Botany and mycology

Amanita abrupta — Augustin Pyramus de Candolle

History

Battle of Carillon

Music

His Band and the Street Choir — Mr. Tambourine Man

Paleontology

Tyrannosauridae

Society and business

Great Southern Group

Sport

Ashot Nadanian — Field lacrosse — Lisa Moretti — Milo of Croton — York Park

Zoology

American White Ibis - Blotchy swell shark — Golden White-eye — Northern Bald Ibis — Potcake dog — Rufous-crowned Sparrow — Sperm Whale — Varanus salvadorii

Ashot Nadanian — California On-Road Heavy-Duty Diesel Vehicles Regulation — Russell and Sigurd Varian — Spelling of Shakespeare's name

Tyrannosaurus

Fertilisation of Orchids — Corn Crake

• Phylactolaemata

• The Reviewer's Barnstar to Kaldari - 15:55, 10 September 2011
• Special Award to Keetanii for merging to create Akita (dog) - 18:14, 6 September 2011
• The Special Barnstar to Casliber - 10:06, 22 July 2011
• The Special Barnstar to Smith609 - 10:30, 7 July 2011
• The Reviewer's Barnstar to RJH - 09:55, 7 July 2011
• Photographer's Barnstar to Kaldari - 11:02, 17 May 2011 (UTC)
• The Anti-Vandalism Barnstar to Danger - 20:50, 1 May 2011 (UTC)
• The Invisible Barnstar to Dispenser - 06:27, 21 June 2010 (UTC)
• The Tireless Contributor Barnstar to Stemonitis - 16:16, 15 June 2010 (UTC)
• Barnstar of Diligence to NYMFan69-86 - 23:29, 7 June 2010 (UTC)
• Guidance Barnstar to JimmyButler - 22:52, 7 June 2010 (UTC)
• InvisibleBarnstar to SunCreator - 17:43, 26 May 2010 (UTC)
• The Cleanup Barnstar to Rjwilmsi - 15:08, 21 May 2010 (UTC)
• What a Brilliant Idea Barnstar to Visionholder - 22:36, 30 April 2010 (UTC)
• The Barnstar of Integrity to Teancum - 01:40, 30 January 2010 (UTC)
• The Good Friend Award to Malleus Fatuorum - 07:52, 18 December 2009 (UTC)
• The Good Friend Award to Geometry guy - 07:50, 18 December 2009 (UTC)
• The Good Friend Award to Mattisse - 07:49, 18 December 2009 (UTC)
• The Reviewers Award to hamiltonstone - 07:07, 16 November 2009 (UTC)
• The Barnstar of Peace to Ottava Rima - 16:40, 20 August 2009 (UTC)
• The Bio-Star to Rusty Cashman - 12:14, 13 August 2009 (UTC)
• The Bio-Star to dave souza - 12:03, 9 August 2009 (UTC)
• The Good Article Reviewer's Barnstar to Mattisse - 09:01, 14 April 2009 (UTC)
• The Cleanup Barnstar to Michael Devore - 12:12, 14 January 2009 (UTC)
• The Mensch's Barnstar to TimVickers - 19:18, 13 January 2009 (UTC)
• The Barnstar of Peace to SyG - 22:43, 18 August 2008 (UTC)
• The Barnstar of Diligence to SyG - 19:25, 6 July 2008 (UTC)
• The Working Man's Barnstar to Quale - 11:22, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

		The Good Article Barnstar
		Thanks Philcha for helping to promote Portia schultzi to Good Article status. Please accept this little sign of appreciation and goodwill from me, because you deserve it. Keep it up, and give some a pat on the back today. --Sp33dyphil © • © 04:49, 15 November 2011 (UTC)

	Congratulations!
	Thanks for all the work you did in making Portia fimbriata a certified "Good Article"! That really is a very detailed and thorough article! (And that was certainly a detailed and thorough review.) Your work is much appreciated. Thanks also for your reviews. Featured article candidates and Good Article nominees always need more reviewers! All the best, – Quadell 19:14, 13 September 2011 (UTC)

	The Teamwork Barnstar
	I hope that you get better and in the future find time to contribute once again to this great project. Jezhotwells (talk) 01:37, 6 July 2011 (UTC)

		The Fauna Barnstar
		For your awesome expansion of Portia labiata AshLin (talk) 13:03, 2 July 2011 (UTC)

		The Fauna Barnstar
		To Philcha, for writing several articles about arthropods and molluscs. Axl ¤ [Talk] 17:13, 2 June 2011 (UTC)

		The Tireless Contributor Barnstar
		Philcha, a thank for your endlessly good contributions to chess articles of WikiProjects Chess. Regards, SunCreator 13:32, 26 May 2010 (UTC)

		The Guidance Barnstar
		Thanks for taking up the His Band and the Street Choir review and going through the article thoroughly, showing me in great detail what was needed to improve it, suggesting techniques, links and language style. This will not only help the article in question, but any other I choose to take to GA in the future. You deserve this! Kitchen roll (talk) 21:30, 30 April 2010 (UTC)

		The Anti-Flame Barnstar
		To Philcha for valiant efforts, above and beyond the call of duty, to mediate in the case of D51 vs MF. When writing your sage words and your appeals for calm you must have felt like a lone voice, but I noticed and I was grateful. Your voice is the sort of voice that makes Wikipedia worthwhile for many. Dolphin51 (talk) 07:45, 10 March 2010 (UTC)

		The Special Barnstar
		Philcha, for being who you are - totally irreplacable! from —mattisse (Talk) 22:25, 15 December 2009 (UTC)

		The Music Barnstar
		For the excellent and thorough job you did reviewing the complicated but important Mr. Tambourine Man article, I award you this barnstar. Rlendog (talk) 21:35, 1 December 2009 (UTC)

		The Guidance Barnstar
		I would like to thank you and Cliff smith for your help even though I didn't get around to your suggestions... i feel bad now :( But your small contributions helped, becuase it's the small contribs that add up in the end :P... have a good one Bugboy52.4 | =-= 02:31, 14 November 2009 (UTC)

		The Bio-star
		To Philcha, for attempting to address the bias that our invertebrate second-cousins are up against in being ignored in mainspace (and the image is of an invertebrate too) cheers, Casliber (talk · contribs) 13:02, 2 November 2009 (UTC)

		The Fertilisation of Orchids Award
		Thanks for asking all those awkward questions and pointing the way to bring a whimsical sketch up to FA standard. Much appreciated! dave souza, talk 12:03, 13 August 2009 (UTC)

	The Working Man's Barnstar
	Thankyou for all your hard work in reviewing York Park. Also for your tireless work in reviewing other GANs. Aaroncrick (talk) 13:26, 7 August 2009 (UTC)

		The Origins Award
		Thanks for all the fish, Philcha, and for doing so much to improve On the Origin of Species. . . dave souza, talk 11:09, 22 June 2009 (UTC)

		The Socratic Barnstar
		For the pointed, lengthy, interactive and incredibly helpful GA review of On the Origin of Species Rusty Cashman (talk) 20:41, 21 June 2009 (UTC)

		The Original Barnstar
		For your thorough work on making Wikipedia a better encyclopædia, I award you this barnstar. Arsenikk 20:43, 8 February 2009 (UTC)

File:Mammal barnstar.png		The Mammal Barnstar
		For the extensive work and excellent guidance in reviewing the Sperm Whale article, so that this important article could regain its GA status, I hereby award you the Mammal Barnstar Rlendog (talk) 17:16, 10 November 2008 (UTC) Danilot (talk) 19:06, 30 December 2007 (UTC)

		The Tireless Contributor Barnstar
		Either you have an army of impersonators, or you've completely taken over the Biology section at GAN! You've been doing amazing work, both contributing lots of content and giving impressively thorough GA reviews. delldot ∇. 06:12, 8 November 2008 (UTC)

		The Half Barnstar
		For the great work Philcha (a British) and Krakatoa (an American) were able to produce together in order to reach a neutral point-of-view in the article Howard Staunton so that it reached GA-class, I award to each of them half of this barnstar. SyG (talk) 08:30, 1 September 2008 (UTC)

		The Content Creativity Barnstar
		For the tremendous work and material you put in the article Alexander Alekhine during the GA-review, I award you this barnstar. SyG (talk) 21:44, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

		The Working Man's Barnstar
		For excellent work on Chess topics:Staunton, Blackburn, Zukertort‎ , Steinitz and Anderssen. I am very happy to award you this barnstar. SunCreator (talk) 18:15, 10 May 2008 (UTC)