Philip Lee Ames

Philip Lee Ames, 79, passed away May 17, 2026.

Phil was born in Jacksonville, Illinois on October 21, 1946 to Philip and Eleanor Ames. His father was in the Army, and they lived in numerous places, including Japan, Turkey, and Bad Tolz, Germany where he enjoyed scouting in the Alps and playing baseball. While in high school, his family moved to North Augusta, South Carolina, and he graduated from North Augusta High School in 1964.

He co-oped at the Savannah River Site, and after graduating from Georgia Tech, he worked there for 30 years until retiring in 1996. He had a second career in software development for various companies, and in his later years, he was working on a trilogy of fantasy novels.

Phil joined First Presbyterian Church in 1977 after coming to Christ and served faithfully in many leadership roles, as a deacon and ruling elder. He planned multiple Bible and Missionary Conferences, taught Sunday School, and served on the board of Campus Outreach.

Phil loved people, and he enjoyed talking to anyone and everyone. He would cook meals for complete strangers, causing his wife to ask one time “do we know them?” when he invited new friends over for dinner.

He approached cooking and baking with his engineering mind, tinkering with his recipes each time, and he will be greatly missed for his smoked Boston butt, his chocolate chip-oatmeal raisin cookies, and his new specialty, blondies with homemade toffee. He would bake these for his Wednesday prayer group, his family, and others he designated “FoPs,” friends of Phil. FoPs included coffee shop baristas, his daughter’s co-workers, and anyone he saw regularly at Publix.

He loved puzzles, strategy card games, and reading to his grandchildren. He instilled a love of reading in all his children and was working on the next generation. He texted his family endlessly in group chats, which were sometimes indecipherable to his sons-in-law and had to be interpreted by his daughters.

He is survived by his beloved wife of almost 42 years, Sue and numerous family members including his daughters Christy Dietz (Eric), Katie, Elisabeth Ruege (Zach), and Caroline Ivey (Sam); his sisters, Rosalie (Terry) and Louise (Richard); his grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Philip and Eleanor Ames, and his brother, Alan Ames.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to First Presbyterian Church, New City Fellowship - U City (St. Louis, MO), or The Oaks School (Evans, GA).

A visitation will take place at Thomas Poteet & Son Funeral Directors (Davis Road) on Wednesday, May 20, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. On Thursday, May 21, there will be a family internment, followed by a memorial service of celebration in the sanctuary at First Presbyterian Church at 10:30 a.m.

Thomas Poteet & Son Funeral Directors, 214 Davis Road, Augusta, GA  30907, (706) 364-8484.