Basic Information
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Philip Alan Hosterman |
| Birth | July 22, 1944 — Seattle, Washington, USA |
| Death | October 18, 2011 — Bainbridge Island, Washington, USA |
| Age at Death | 67 |
| Nationality | American |
| Heritage | Russian, Austrian, Hungarian, French, and German roots |
| Education | University of Portland; junior year in Salzburg, Austria |
| Early Career | Water resource engineer; Peace Corps (Afghanistan, 1967–1969) |
| Occupations | Musician (piano, saxophone), entrepreneur, designer |
| Company | Founder, Kandahar Trading Company (est. 1972) |
| Known For | Father of Dove Cameron; musician; global artisan fashion entrepreneur |
| Spouse | Bonnie J. Wallace (m. 1988, div. 2010) |
| Children | Claire Hosterman (b. 1989); Dove Olivia Cameron (b. 1996, born Chloe Celeste) |
| Parents | Philippe Taylor Hosterman; Florence Alma Hosterman (both deceased) |
| Siblings | Michael Hosterman (brother); Mary Lyn Kappert (sister) |
| Residences | Seattle; Bainbridge Island (approx. 1994–2011) |
| Estimated Net Worth at Death | Approximately $1 million (primarily from business) |
Early Years: Seattle Roots and a Young Musician in Motion
Born in mid-century Seattle on July 22, 1944, Philip grew up in the Seward Park neighborhood, where Lake Washington’s breeze carried the sounds of his earliest gigs. By high school at O’Dea, he was earning professional work as a pianist and saxophonist—proof that music wasn’t a hobby, but a second language. He attended St. Edward elementary, embraced discipline and craft, and stepped onstage whenever he could. The rhythm of that era was discovery: a family attuned to hard work and curiosity, threaded with European heritage that prized both rigor and art.
The University of Portland shaped his next chapter. A pivotal junior year in Salzburg, Austria—Mozart’s city—widened his lens. Cobblestones, concert halls, and Alpine horizons did more than enchant; they planted the seed that the world’s beauty was worth following.
From Engineer to Aesthete: The Peace Corps Turning Point (1967–1969)
In 1967, Philip joined the Peace Corps and spent two years in Afghanistan as a water resource engineer. The work mattered: wells, systems, and community solutions. But the mountains, markets, and material culture lit a different fuse. Touring villages and bazaars, he found himself drawn to the artistry of everyday objects—the handwoven, the hand-hewn, the hand-dyed. Those years reframed his vocation. He realized he didn’t just want to solve problems; he wanted to work with beauty and bring it forward.
Building Kandahar Trading Company (1972 and after)
- 1972: Philip founded Kandahar Trading Company, initially importing ethnographic artifacts inspired by his time in Afghanistan.
- Late 1970s–1980s: The business evolved into ethnic fashion accessories, partnering with workshops in India and supplying U.S. boutiques.
- 1990s–2000s: Kandahar matured into a niche brand in bohemian and global-inspired markets, with Philip serving as designer, buyer, and storyteller-in-chief.
His entrepreneurial arc was a balancing act—spreadsheets and sari silks, shipping crates and sketchbooks. The company’s footprint was modest yet meaningful, contributing to an estimated net worth of around $1 million by 2011. No glossy award adorned the walls; the reward was the work itself, and the relationships that made it possible.
Marriage, Music, and Fatherhood (1988–2011)
Philip married acting coach Bonnie J. Wallace in 1988 in Peshawar, Pakistan—an unconventional, fitting ceremony for two people enamored with performance and place. Their daughters arrived in close rhythm with the growth of Kandahar:
- 1989: Claire was born, a singer from early on, harmonizing with her father’s piano.
- January 15, 1996: Chloe Celeste was born on Bainbridge Island. Philip called her “Dove,” a name that stuck so deeply she later took it as her legal name—Dove Olivia Cameron.
Around 1994, the family moved to Bainbridge Island, where Philip would live for roughly 17 years. He cultivated a home of music stands and suitcases, of dinner-table laughter and last-minute trips. He taught his girls to hear the key changes—both musical and metaphorical—and to meet the world with open ears.
Even after his and Bonnie’s 2010 divorce, the co-parenting remained steady. Philip’s humor—boyish, spontaneous—set the tone. Extended family, including siblings Michael and Mary Lyn (married to Hank Kappert), gathered often; nieces and nephews brought noise, and he welcomed it.
A Life Scored in Notes: Piano, Saxophone, and Mentorship
Philip’s earliest professional identity—musician—never left him. Through the decades, he kept playing. He accompanied Claire, tutored Dove, and turned the family living room into a rehearsal space. Lessons doubled as life coaching: phrasing, timing, and when to improvise. Those sessions left fingerprints on his daughters’ artistry—particularly Dove’s blend of poise, emotional intelligence, and musicality that would later carry her through stage and screen.
Later Years, Loss, and Name Change (2010–2011)
By 2010, the marriage had ended, but the center held around music and family. On October 18, 2011, at age 67, Philip died by suicide in his Bainbridge Island home. The shock was profound. Dove was 15. In the months that followed, she changed her name from Chloe Celeste Hosterman to Dove Olivia Cameron, choosing the nickname he had given her as something like a compass—soft yet steadfast, a way to carry him forward.
Tributes and the Enduring Echo
The years since 2011 have been marked by remembrance. Tributes rise and fall like tides: birthday posts, fan retrospectives, and interviews where Dove threads her father’s influence through her own success and struggles. In 2025, conversations around her tattoos honoring him and the mental health impact of losing him at 15 resurfaced in popular media. These remembrances don’t canonize Philip; they humanize him—a father who mixed sheet music with shipping manifests, a man who shifted from pipelines to palettes.
Timeline at a Glance
| Year | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1944 | Birth | Born July 22 in Seattle, Washington |
| 1950s–early 1960s | Early music | Piano and saxophone gigs during school years |
| Mid-1960s | University | University of Portland; junior year in Salzburg |
| 1967–1969 | Peace Corps | Water resource engineer in Afghanistan |
| 1972 | Entrepreneurship | Founded Kandahar Trading Company |
| 1988 | Marriage | Married Bonnie J. Wallace in Peshawar, Pakistan |
| 1989 | Fatherhood | Birth of first daughter, Claire |
| ~1994 | New home base | Family moved to Bainbridge Island, WA |
| 1996 | Second daughter | Birth of Chloe Celeste (“Dove”) on January 15 |
| 2010 | Divorce | Marriage to Bonnie ended |
| 2011 | Passing | Died by suicide on October 18, age 67 |
| 2011–present | Remembrance | Ongoing tributes; Dove’s name change and artistic dedications |
Family Tree and Roles
| Family Member | Relationship | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Philippe Taylor Hosterman | Father | Deceased prior to 2011 |
| Florence Alma Hosterman | Mother | Deceased prior to 2011 |
| Michael Hosterman | Brother | Survived Philip; private life |
| Mary Lyn Kappert | Sister | Married to Hank Kappert |
| Bonnie J. Wallace | Ex-wife | Acting coach; married 1988, divorced 2010 |
| Claire Hosterman | Daughter | Born 1989; singer, private public profile |
| Dove Olivia Cameron | Daughter | Born 1996 as Chloe Celeste; actress and singer; took “Dove” in tribute to Philip |
Work, Wealth, and What Endured
Philip’s career braided three strands: engineering training, global service, and creative enterprise. The Peace Corps cultivated a worldly pragmatism; Kandahar Trading Company channeled artistry into a livelihood; music anchored the person behind the passport stamps. By 2011, his estimated net worth stood around $1 million, largely tied to Kandahar. Inheritance details were not publicly disclosed. What remains most visible is not a ledger, but a lineage of songs and a daughter who carries his nickname like a lighthouse beam across her own rising tide.
FAQ
Who was Philip Alan Hosterman?
He was an American musician and entrepreneur, best known as the father of Dove Cameron and the founder of Kandahar Trading Company.
When and where was he born?
He was born on July 22, 1944, in Seattle, Washington.
What did he do in the Peace Corps?
From 1967 to 1969, he served in Afghanistan as a water resource engineer, an experience that reshaped his creative path.
What was Kandahar Trading Company?
Founded in 1972, it imported ethnographic artifacts and evolved into a brand for ethnic fashion accessories produced in India.
How did he influence Dove Cameron?
He mentored her musically from childhood, and his nickname for her—“Dove”—inspired her legal name change after his death.
When did he pass away and how old was he?
He died on October 18, 2011, at age 67, on Bainbridge Island, Washington.
Was he married and did he have children?
He married acting coach Bonnie Wallace in 1988, divorced in 2010, and had two daughters, Claire (1989) and Dove (1996).
What was his estimated net worth?
At the time of his death, his net worth was estimated to be around $1 million, primarily from his business.
Where did he live later in life?
He lived on Bainbridge Island, Washington, for approximately 17 years leading up to 2011.
Why did Dove Cameron change her name?
She adopted “Dove,” her father’s nickname for her, as a tribute following his death.
