Philip D. Letiecq (1938-2012 ) had a keen appreciation of wildlife from an early age, becoming an avid fisherman and tyer of lures while he was still in high school. Educated at SUNY Oswego and SUNY Cortland, he was a teacher in New York State for much of his professional life, but also became well known as a custom gun maker because of his love of hunting and wood. Moving to Wyoming in 1980, Phil spent much time hiking, camping and hunting in the Big Horns, the Wyoming prairies, the Rock Mountains and in Alaska. It was this influence of nature that prompted Phil to take up painting, a serious pursuit he carried out for the rest of his life. Upon retirement in 2000, Phil and his family moved to Shirley's family home in Sunderland. His art career included exhibitions at the National Wildlife Exhibit in Cheyenne, Wyo. (where he won first place in the Birdlife category), the Bennington Center for the Arts, SVAC, the Bryant Gallery in Jeffersonville, Vt., and the John Zaccheo Gallery in Manchester, Vt.