We first met Phil in 2016 at the open day of our daughter’s new school in Tokyo. We were feeling terribly nervous for her, having just moved back to Japan. Phil was the first person who talked to us that day and helped to connect us with other parents and their families. Phil and Naoko subsequently invited us over for dinner many times and were both such warm, generous and welcoming hosts. Phil never sought out the limelight, or needed to be the centre of attention, and yet he was very much the catalyst in bringing people together and helping to connect new friends. He could always be relied to keep the conversation moving, was a great listener and clearly enjoyed the company of others. His welcoming gestures and warm smile always putting everyone at ease.

He was a good man; warm hearted, smart, funny and a deep thinker. He always saw the good in people wanted to make the world a better place.

As our friendship with Phil also included Naoko, Mari and Ami, we always took pleasure in seeing what a loving, caring and patient Father and husband he was. He was so immensely proud of you all and you were the centre of his life.

We will never forget his kindness, his warm smile and his friendship and feel blessed and grateful to have known him.

Our hearts go out to Naoko, Mari and Ami. We are all thinking of you and grieving for your loss.

Ben, Ari, Lilia and Jessie

I am writing this through tears as I just received the news that our Bridge Builder @Phil Chang passed away suddenly. I am petrified by the news – and still in denial that this is actually true… Although I only interacted with Phil since December 17 2021 – he became instantly a strong presence in my life as I felt a close connection since our first (and only…) chat (virtually) when we began to seamlessly co-create the “triad” Voltaire-Catalyst-Impact as he saw it. Needless to say that such synergy is rarely found… so I will miss you Phil – BADLY ! I lost a friend in “envisioning” and a soulmate… and the community lost a true Bridge Builder! I promise to pursue fiercely your ideas and ideals – as much as you managed to share them with me and with our community – your legacy will stay alive! Let’s work together on this mates! :stars:

Michaela Ulieru

I didnt know him a lot, but definitely enjoyed the Calls and interactions with him
a great soul left us, may he find rest and peace
i hope he left us well and that he takes and leaves some great experiences of his life

Felix Weber

Phil joined us in September. I got to meet up with him at the Cardano Summit and spend time working through the design of the new governance system with him. We had lunch and coffees together and talked a bit. He was very enthusiastic about joining IOHK –
he told me he felt this was really something he wanted to do, and would be able to make a major contribution from his past experience.

We then spent many hours working through the details of the design together. He may have found it hard to interpret some of my hand-written diagrams, but he never complained and managed to turn my scrawl into neat professional images, always adding his own touches and carefully linking up with other work, using his powers of tact and diplomacy to make sure that everyone was on board.
His care and passion shows up in the governance design that we have been working on and that many thousands of people will benefit from.
Although he has been with us only a short time, what he has achieved will make a difference to people’s lives.

We have lost someone exceptional. We will all miss him, both as a colleague, but also and very importantly as a person.

Also, Wanted to share some of the words of other colleagues, these might have already been shared with you:

I think what can be very important for the IOG community is to see why we should all strive to be more like Phil. The values he represented are what can make our work more than work. To me he showed genuine passion for excellence, patience despite tension, curiosity about much more than what he was “tasked with”, focus on a shared vision, no to ego-games, yes to team work.

Kevin Hammond

Phil was a big part of my journey at IOG. He always understood that Governance brings out the best and worst of the human condition and he always approached the design of voltaire with the reverence and mindfulness that it demands and deserves. As we collaborated to brainstorm and bring governance user stories to life, he was always willing to be a sounding board to my half baked ideas. I honor and remember Phil for how generous he was with his time and talent. I will miss the creativity and imagination he brought into our brainstorming sessions and my thoughts and prayers are with his wife and daughter.

July Nagy

Yesterday night we learned from Kriss, and other close friends that Phil Chang has passed away.
In Hebrew the saying goes: “May his soul be bound in the bundle of the living”
And so he did, living a life of purpose, influencing many through his contributions to Wikipedia, makerDAO, mentoring entrepreneurs, and now Voltaire he made a long lasting impact on the lives of many.
Phil was also a family man, with a wife and two daughters.
During his 6 months working with us, he had a seminal role in defining and planning Voltaire and we all enjoyed his patience, leadership, dedication and broad experience.

Johnny Nguyen

Still at at loss for words. The team will really miss his calm spirit and innovative ideas. Phil was always generous with his time and patiently explained his work. What stood out for me was he was concerned for others and how they were doing. As a team we will make sure his contribution will be remembered. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.

Dor Garbash

I’m so sorry, we all loved and cherished Phil, he will be forever in our hearts. If you want to call or reply to me or the team, please feel free to contact me.

Dynal Patel

Through heavy tears I reflect. Many years ago one summer in Tokyo, my young son and I went to the outdoor pool at Shibakoen to cool off in the August heat. I’m not so gregarious, not one to make small talk with strangers, but as we were playing in the water a very charming guy came up to us and introduced himself. ‘I’m Phil.’ We had similar aged children and soon learned we had more in common. We remained friends and busy with our own lives, included each other in kid’s birthday parties, met at the American Club for lunch and more. As all have touched on in their tributes, Phil was such a calm presence, a kind and gentle soul, doting Dad and husband whose loss is so tragic for those he has left behind.

I hadn’t spoken to Phil for a few years and didn’t even know they had moved to London, when one day his name popped up in a crypto group chat I belong to. Phil! We chatted a bit and he being Phil, suggested we have a video call to catch up. That was the offer I will always regret not acting on. Phil was so knowledgeable, and generous with his time. He was eager to learn new things. Learning new things from new friends. Perhaps traits we all could learn from.

Thank you Phil for being a light for so many, for extending your hand in friendship and I’m praying so deeply for a gentle path ahead for Naoko, Mari and Ami. RIP Mr. Chang

Peter von Gomm

We are Ami’s class teachers and we were very privileged to have her join our class in October. We have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Ami and she is certainly someone to be very proud of.
We are thinking about you all at this very difficult time.

Amicia Novak and Jo Hamblett

My family met Phil in October 2019, when he moved to Kingston with his family. His older daughter Mari joined my older daughter’s class at Fern Hill Primary School in year 6. They quickly became friends and the children brought the families together. This wouldn’t have happened without Phil’s friendly, warm and proactive approach tough. He and Naoko very generously invited us for dinner, so we got to know their younger daughter Ami too and enjoy their company and hospitality. We have many fond memories of dinners, barbecues, picnics, theatre trips, Christmas Eve celebrations and a short holiday in Dorset together in the summer of 2020. Phil was always keen to make plans to socialise together and we always enjoyed spending time with him and his family. During the various lockdowns he’d come over with the children to say hello from the doorstep, bringing crafts Mari and Ami had made or cakes they had baked. Those were such welcome visits during a time when many of us struggled with isolation. We will miss Phil in our lives. Our thoughts and love are with Naoko, Mari and Ami – we are here for you, dear friends.

Daniela Perazzo

I met Phil about 20 years ago and we kept in touch over time. I played some active part in helping get to the UK again, and then, just as we finally had the chance to get to know each other again and more, Covid hit. I’ll really miss our varied discussions and especially his quiet, yet penetrating thinking. I can only offer any help, assistance or support to Naoko and the girls may require at what I am sure is a very difficult moment. Phil lives on in many memories for us as, as I know it does in yours.

Davide Ferrara

I only briefly worked with Phil, but in that short time his intellect and patience to bring me onboard with his design helped me greatly. I get the sense from the rest of the team that his calm and methodological approach really brought a greater level of understanding between us all. He was a thought-leader and go-to person.

I know his presence will be sorely missed. Thoughts and prayers always.

Jack Briggs

Philip was very generous with his time during and after last year’s Cardano Summit. He had a genuine interest and commitment to the Catalyst community. I really appreciate the brief opportunity I had to talk with Philip. His perspective was always broad and wise.

Stephen Whitenstall