Phillip "Phil" Sidney Daniels, Jr.

Phillip Sidney “Phil” Daniels, Jr., 90, of Pfafftown, passed away at home in the early morning hours of September 27, 2026.

Born and raised in Winston-Salem, Phil was the son of Phillip Daniels, Sr. and Doris Brewer Daniels. He attended Old Town High School, NC State and Western Carolina before serving in the United States Air Force as a navigator.

Phil later joined Western Electric, spending six years in its Field Force Division working on communications systems for the U.S. Navy. During that time, his work took him more than 111,000 miles around the world. He continued his career with Western Electric until his retirement.

In 1958, Phil married Janie Long Daniels, his wife of more than 60 years and, in many ways, his perfect opposite. Together, they created a home in Pfafftown that became the center of their family for generations—a gathering place for children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, friends, pool days, parties and countless ordinary days that turned out to matter just as much. Janie’s death in 2024 left an absence that could never really be filled.

Phil was brilliant, funny, fiercely independent, stubborn, tough as nails and remarkably confident in his own opinions.

He loved golf, traveling, lifelong friends, being outdoors, a good project and a cold Natural Light. He also had a work ethic that was nearly impossible to match. Phil believed in doing things yourself, doing them right and never sitting still for very long. Even at 90, he was still thinking about the next thing that needed to be done. He spent a lifetime working, building, teaching and taking care of the people and place he loved.

Above all, he was immensely proud of his family and the life he and Janie built together.

Phil is survived by his children, Phillip (Jewels) and Jacque; grandchildren, Daniel (Ashli), Laura (Drew), Jessica (Chris) and Alivia; and great-grandchildren, Hayes, Beau, Duke and Beckham. He was preceded in death by his wife, Janie; his parents; and his sister, Barbara Jean Brown.

A brief service celebrating Phil’s life will be held at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at Hayworth-Miller Funeral Home in Rural Hall. The family will receive friends immediately following the service at the funeral home.

Phil was not a particularly traditional man, so we aren’t planning a particularly traditional goodbye. If you knew him, come prepared with your favorite story. We know there are plenty, and we want to hear them. There will certainly be tears, but there should be plenty of laughter, too.