In Phil's early years, he lived in South Bend, Indiana where his father worked for Bendix. In 1961, his family move to Dayton, Ohio because his father took a position at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. In 1962, the family moved to Columbus because his father began working at Newark Air Force Base in Licking County. Again, the family moved so Mr. Waite would not have to travel so far to work. The new residence was in a rural housing developement near the small town of Etna. Three years later, they moved to the nearby town of Pataskala. After four years in Pataskala, they bought a house in a rural housing addition called Indian Hills about three miles west of Granville.

Throughout the last three moves, Phil remained in the same school district, Southwest Licking School System. Phil attended Watkins Memorial High School receiving a diploma in 1971. He participated in the sports of golf and wrestling. He also played saxaphone in the marching band his ninth grade year and sang in the choir throughout high school.

In the fall of '71, Phil began college life at Bowling Green State University. He majored in Chemistry and minored in Biology. He planned to get into a health field after receiving his B.Sc. In the Spring of 1975, he received his degree. However, Phil was unable to get into any medical schools and therefore looked for other avenues in life. He applied for volunteer service in the Peace Corps and was accepted the following summer. He was assigned the position of science teacher in the West African country of Liberia.