Philip Amelio

Born on November 3rd, 1977 in Sharon, Connecticut, Philip John Amelio II was the eldest of Diana and John Amelio's four children. After moving to Pine Plains, New York, he first received a taste for acting when cast in a Pepperidge Farm commercial at the tender age of four. This would be the beginning of an acting career that would span his most of his childhood as he won roles in many adverts including the nationally-aired commercial campaigns with Ford Motors, All Laundry Detergent, and Shake 'N Bake Bread Crumbs. The hallmark of Philip's work as an actor in adverts was in 1987 when he was chosen to be the very first spokesman for Jell-O pudding snacks when he was only nine years old. He also carved a name for himself in films and TV shows, landing roles in A Place to Call Home (1987), All My Children (1970) and Born on the Fourth of July (1989). The highlight of Philip's career as a child actor was landing a starring role in Lucille Ball's last sitcom, Life with Lucy (1986), where he played Kevin, Lucy's grandson. By the age of thirteen, however, Philip decided he no longer wished to act and instead threw himself into his love for sports. Not only succeeding academically at high school, he excelled in baseball and winter track. After leaving school, he went on to study English and Social Studies at the university in Albany then receive a Masters Degree in Education at the College of Saint Rose, Albany, New York. Once a qualified teacher, Philip began teaching English and History at Duanesburg High School, Delanson, New York. He still loved baseball, and was the pitching coach for the Pine Plains Little League, head coach of the Pine Plains Junior League and the modified baseball coach at Duanesburg High School. In addition, he helped coach and teach dozens of players in the Pine Plains School District in numerous clinics and summer leagues with his father, including coaching many of the players on the 2002 New York State Championship Baseball Team. In March 2005, he complained of a sore back and his doctors assumed that he was suffering from herniated disc or sciatica. However, he in fact had a bacterial infection of the heart valve that flared up due to the misdiagnosis of his condition. Philip deteriorated rapidly and died on April 1st 2005 at the tragically young age of twenty seven years old. In his memory, his father established 'Philip J. Amelio, II. Scholarship Fund', offered to impoverished schoolchildren who reside in the Pine Plains Central School District and the Duanesburg Central School District to help them maintain their education.