IN death, as in life, Dr George Phillip was yesterday remembered as a man with a caring heart, a captivating smile, and in a troubled world, a man at peace with himself.

For a touching final tribute to the business icon, hundreds of mourners – comprising a virtual ‘who is who’ in Jamaican society – filled the Church of St Margaret in Liguanea, St Andrew, and overflowed into a large tent that sheltered them from the sweltering morning heat.

Heading the mourners were present and immediate past governors general, Prof Kenneth Hall and Sir Howard Cooke; present and immediate past prime ministers, Portia Simpson Miller and P J Patterson; Opposition Leader Bruce Golding; widow, Janette and daughters Alicia and Ky-Ann; Phillip’s last boss, Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart; colleagues, friends from Jamaica and across the Caribbean, business associates and people from all walks of life who had benefited from his generosity of spirit.

“I now realise why you were so busy; you were busy making your mark on other people’s life,” said younger daughter, Ky-Ann in a letter to her departed dad which drew tears from many in the congregation.

Dr George Joseph Phillip succumbed to prostate cancer after an eight-year long battle on March 31, 2007. Typically, he left a message to the living, suggesting through a friend and one of his eulogists that “half of the men in here have prostate cancer” – meaning to encourage men to get their checks early in order to fight the scavenging disease that claimed his life at age 69.

Close family members and friends wept openly as the casket, draped in white, was wheeled into the church by pall bearers. But their tears apart, the funeral service was, for the most part, a celebration of a life lived to its fullest.

“We are here to pay tribute to a man who could be described as larger in death than perhaps in life,” said Rev Vivian Cohen, rector of the Church of St Margaret, in the sermon. “Even on our death bed our life can bare a witness.”

Dr Phillip, he added, had showed great courage and resolve despite the physical pain he suffered during his illness.

‘Butch’ Stewart, chairman of the ATL/Sandals Group who led the tributes, said a better friend and companion than Phillip could not be found.

“When you think of George you think of his powerful smile that would capture anybody,” Stewart recalled of the man whom he had employed as executive director of Sandals Resorts International and given the task of getting the Jamaica Observer off the ground.

Stewart, referring to the adage ‘you have many choices in life and the one that you make, makes you’, said Phillip chose to be a friend to many and to help all whom he could.

Ky-Ann and elder sister Alicia gave their tribute in the form of a letter and poem, extolling the virtues of their father. “You told me that life was like a bucket of water and the bucket would get old and mashed up like the body and will eventually get thrown away, but the water, representing the spirit, remains,” Alicia reminisced.

“You are right, the body is like a bucket of water and the spirit does remain,” she said, adding: “Thanks for being my friend and making me so proud to say you are my father.”

Ky-Ann, her voice etched in grief, said: “Daddy, you have been the most important person in my life and I can’t imagine life without you…”

Ken Gordon, a founding director of the Jamaica Observer and long-time friend from Trinidad and Tobago, said Phillip died as he lived – in his home with courage and at peace with himself.

“The family should find some comfort in the knowledge that he was a special man. So goodbye, old friend,” said Gordon, a former industry minister in the twin-island republic.

John Junor, former health minister, in his tribute said Phillip was passionate about his contribution to the less fortunate. “In many instances, he personally ensured the advancement of many young people through assistance with school fees and his advice on everyday living and in the knowledge that somebody cared for them,” he said.

Garth Moodie recalled that Phillip loved two things – singing and seeing his friends having a good time.

“He said more than once to his family that he never wanted anyone at his funeral to have a long face,” Moodie said, asking the congregation to honour his wishes and to sing lustily throughout the service. Nevertheless, for those who felt like crying, he invited them to “cry a river, for you might find others around you swimming in it”.

Close friend Roy Banarsee said Dr Phillip did not cringe in shame and embarrassment because of his illness, like many men would do, but he helped others who were suffering a similar fate. He had a message from Phillip, saying that half of the men in the congregation had prostate cancer. Phillip had spent his last years using his own life as a tool for cancer awareness.

“We will try to learn from you and follow your example,” Barnasee pledged, revealing that he too was battling the disease.

The service was officiated by Rev Robert Thompson, Bishop of Kingston; Rev Canon Vivian Cohen, rector of the Church of St Margaret; Rev Charles H Dufour, Bishop of Montego Bay; Monsignor Richard Albert and Father Ralston Smith.

The music of organist Livingston Burnett was a marked feature of the service, as were the hymns led by D’arcy Tulloch-Williams and soloists Bridgette Lewis and Dwight Richards.

Dr Phillip was born in Grenada, but grew up in Trinidad and later moved to Jamaica in 1970 when he married Janette, a former flight attendant.

He later earned a reputation as an industrial relations specialist and made an indelible mark in the corporate world. He started at GraceKennedy and Company Limited where he served as director of human resource. He later joined Sandals Resorts International.

His body will be cremated at a later date, the family announced.