Phil Lohre Touched Lives All Over the World

International educator's legacy

My friend and former colleague Phil Lohre (1964-2025) of Amsterdam, NY was a brilliant historian, educator, and global adventurer. I was shocked to learn that he died suddenly this month at age 60 while recovering from open heart surgery in Albany, NY.

We met at an Anglican Church in Abu Dhabi, UAE in 2011. As a volunteer, he led a ministry to help exploited migrant laborers and maids, organizing drives of parishioners to provide the minimum for lives of dignity. You would not think that was a subversive act involving personal risk, but it is sometimes in the Arabian Gulf, as it is in the United States.

“Philip was an amazing champion of the poor in the UAE and he and his wife helped many,” Andrew Thompson, his pastor in the UAE, posted on Facebook. “May he rest in peace and rise in glory.”

Phil touched the lives of so many people, positively, worldwide.

At this traumatic time, Phil’s brother Marcus has set up a Go-Fund-Me page to pay for funeral expenses and to assist Phil’s wife Maria. She is in the Philippines. Funding would allow her to attend his funeral in the U.S. Click.

(L to R) Phil and his wife Maria. Phil helped laborers in the UAE. Phil helped exploited maids packed in an embassy refuge. A slideshow from other parts of Phil’s life is on Facebook here.

Phil’s teaching and travels took him to Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and a number of the former Soviet Republics.

I conducted two interviews with Phil in 2022 that remain valuable for anyone seeking to increase their global awareness or considering a career in international education.

"We had a wonderful time in China with many wonderful Chinese friends," he said. He taught there for six years.

Here are four clips totaling about six minutes from one interview.

Phil Lohre on

The Quality of the Chinese Students He Taught

Phil pointed to a power struggle between the wealthy elite of China who want to send their children to the best colleges and universities in the West, and Chinese Premier XI Jinping along with his hardcore supporters, who fear too much Western influence. "Most likely Xi Jinping will prevail, at least for the time being."

Living Conditions For Western Teachers In China

Chinese Government Strategizes To Keep Average People Happy, Though The Gap Between the Rich and Poor Is Very Wide

I told Phil that I was reading predictions that China will be the dominant global power of the 21st century and that Chinese totalitarianism could very well be the dominant governmental model. "I doubt it for several reasons," he said.

The Chinese Are Unpopular With Their Asian Neighbors

I asked him about China’s surveillance system, whereby citizens get social credits and demerits that seem really Orwellian. He said he never encountered it in six years, and it mainly applies to Chinese citizens. "Maria and I felt free in China, freer than we did in Abu Dhabi (UAE), oddly enough. The Chinese don't have any taboos about going out. Maria felt safer in China, and she felt more welcome. (Women) don't have to wear the abaya, (a couple can) hold hands in public, you don't have to abide by their dietary laws. They don't have Ramadan fasting...You could dress however you want. Maria could wear shorts and sandals, I could wear a t-shirt...no problems."

The second interview, about an hour in length, about his adventure teaching in Benghazi, Libya in 2019-20 is on YouTube.

It’s also available on my Substack, with an AI-generated (imperfect) transcript, linked below.

Again, if you can spare even a small donation for Phil’s funeral and to assist his widow at this traumatic time, it would be greatly appreciated. The Go-Fund-Me page is here: Click.