Phil Ambrosi, #726
November 7, 1935 – June 4, 2025
Active APA Member 2001-2005
Phil Ambrosi, #726
Assessing his work at Ambrosi Printers, Circa 2014
This was posted in the old LetPress group on the UNB.com listserv system this evening:
“Hi everyone, this is Gregg Ambrosi, Phil’s son. My dad passed away on June 4, 2025 at the age of 90 years old. He owned and operated Ambrosi Printers in Regina Saskatchewan from 1929 (his dad started the company) until 2014. My dad worked there 6 days a week from the time he was 16 years old until he retired at the age of 79.”
Phil was a friend of many of us older members, I am sure, and many emails, especially on the LetPress List, and even phone calls were exchanged over the years with his heavy scottish brogue.
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I will always remember him for his love of my Chocolate Chip Cookies, a recipe handed down to me from my wife’s mother. He always said he could never eat anyone else’s chocolate chip cookies after I sent him a box of a couple dozen one Christmas back in the early 2000’s. So, it became an annual event for several years to send him a couple dozen 3″ cookies every Christmas! I even shared the recipe with him so he could make his own…
Oh man, I loved Phil. I had a lot of email conversations with him. He always signed off with something funny and grouchy. I saved quite a few of them. The very last one is my favorite.
Phil (Old Grumpie Poop) Ambrosi, past president and chief doo doo disturber of the Montreal Street and environs Cheerful Charlie Club.
Phil ( The Magnificent) Ambrosi, aka Phil the humble.
Phil Ambrosi of Cookie Land on Montreal Street, right here in Glorious Regina, Queen City of Saskatchewan the Wheat Basket of Canada.
Phil (kranky old geezer) Ambrosi.
Phil (cranky old geezer) Ambrosi
Phil Ambrosi, of Regina, Saskatchewan, the finest place to live in all of North America. So there.
Phil (The Magnificent) Ambrosi, aka Kanterouis Kermudgeon Kanada Ink.
Phil Ambrosi, born during the Dirty Thirties in western Canada where the wind never stops blowing, during a world wide depression and grew up in a province that most people do not know anything about except that it has a funny name, or even where it is, and I never stop bragging and talking about it. So there.
Signed a second time in case you didn’t notice the first time.
Phil Ambrosi, and once more I say, So there.
Phil (the Magnificent) Ambrosi, aka Phil the grumpie old geezer. Say, I kind of like that title ”Geezer.” It seems to fit.
Phil (language expert and general know it all) Ambrosi
Phil (grumpie and English only old fart) Ambrosi, but still in spite of all the Froggies around, am willing to be friends.
Phil (grumpie old coot) Ambrosi
The Old Master, hisself
Phil (the Magnificent but at the same time, the Humble of Heart) Ambrosi
Phil Ambrosi – the Kanterouis Kanadian Kermudgeon – as he often referred to himself, was one of our first mentors when first we took to dealing in things letterpress. Always quick to respond to our questions and needs before the internet and cell phones became so utilitarian. His product shipments were wonders to behold; opening one of his wooden boxes was a physical exercise! His print mastery was beyond compare; we still have his seven color type specimen sheet. But for us, his true legacy is in the three tales he would post about Christmas as a child in Regina, Saskatchewan. Posted for many years, each year we would read them to our two boys – and several years ago to our grandson. Eventually they were printed and hard bound for distribution by Phil Driscoll [fellow APA member]. For those of us very senior letterpress people, Phil shaped and defined letterpress and the letterpress community as it was decades ago and what our younger letterpress devotees enjoy and experience today. We are in awe and indebted for who he was and what he accomplished! John B 687
Receiving a package from Phil was an adventure. As John pointed out, you did not just tear into it. His shipping containers were a craft to themselves.
Had not thought about him for a while. Always sorry to see the old timers go–especially those younger than me.