SOUTH PORTLAND – Every April, Philip Daniels retreated to his camp tucked 18 miles into the woods, overlooking picturesque Endless Lake in Howland.

For the next eight months, he was surrounded by thousands of acres of forest with a backdrop of Mount Katahdin. He spent his days doing what he loved: hunting, fishing, four-wheeling and boating.

“He was all about camp,” said his son, Steven Daniels of South Portland. “It’s absolutely beautiful up there. It was his piece of heaven.”

Mr. Daniels, a longtime diesel mechanic who had a passion for the outdoors, died on Tuesday. He was 77.

Mr. Daniels discovered that spot in the woods more than 50 years ago, after he returned home from serving in the Korean War. He and his brother converted a school bus for use as a makeshift camp. He later upgraded to a trailer and eventually sought a permit to build a camp on the land. That was about 20 years ago.

Mr. Daniels spent eight months a year in the woods. Over the years, the camp has become a gathering place for his family and friends.

“He lived a good life there,” his son said. “He spent endless hours on the land. He loved the peace and quiet.”

Half of Mr. Daniels’ ashes will be scattered in Endless Lake, near Blueberry Island, about a half-mile from his camp.

When he wasn’t at his camp, Mr. Daniels lived in Portland with his wife, Sandra Daniels. The couple raised five children.

He was a diesel mechanic at the B&M baked bean factory in Portland for many years. He went on to work as a mechanic for a trucking company.

“The guy could take apart anything and fix it,” his son said. “He was very mechanically inclined. He was blessed with this gift.”

Mr. Daniels was remembered by his son on Wednesday as an “incredible father” who did everything he could to help his children.

“He was one of a kind,” he said.

Mr. Daniels’ life changed drastically about five years ago after he was diagnosed with dementia. The things he loved doing at his camp became increasingly difficult and dangerous. Simple chores became too strenuous for him.

His son remembers the day he and his relatives sat with his father at the kitchen table and told him he couldn’t go to the camp by himself anymore.

“As he got older and weaker, he couldn’t do things for himself,” his son said. “It was heart-wrenching to watch him and tell him that he couldn’t go to camp. It was time for him to come out of the woods.”

Mr. Daniels lived at his son’s home in South Portland for the past few years. Steven Daniels said his father never complained about his dementia. He said his father died with courage and honor.

“He never complained or said ‘ouch’ or ‘poor me.’ It’s incredible how he passed,” he said. “He took it like a man, right until the bitter end.”

Staff Writer Melanie Creamer can be contacted at 791-6361 or at:

mcreamer@pressherald.com

 

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