HEAVY rain last Monday served as a fitting prelude to the many accolades showered on Prince “King Ital” Phillips as family and friends celebrated his life during a ‘nine night’ at House of Dread in Vineyard Town, St Andrew.

For many years Rastafarians and others searching for a place where they could eat healthy foods on a regular basis had found that and more at Phillips’s King Ital restaurant in Cross Roads, St Andrew.

Rastafarian proprietor of the popular Kingston Dub Club in Jacks Hill, St Andrew, Gabre Selassie told the Jamaica Observer that he had to be at the nine night to show respect to the man who provided one of the only sources of vegetarian food for him as a young Rastaman.

“When I was a young ‘Ras’ and just a forward inna di thing, before vegetarian and vegan became popular and hip, there were only a few places you could go on the road to eat certain foods, and King Ital was one of them,” Selassie reflected.

“I support King Ital from long time. I never really knew the man; I just went there as a regular customer and then mi come meet him son and me and him son become brethren so I am here showing respect,” he added.

Ibby Lion, owner of Veggie Meals on Wheels No Bone Zone, located at Regal Plaza in Cross Roads, said that Phillips was his inspiration when he decided to enter the healthy foods business.

He said that after he had the great privilege of meeting Phillips, they developed a bond.

“Prince is a pioneer inna di restaurant business. Even when I just started in 2002, my first business was called Livity Vegetarian. Prince was like a godfather. When everybody talked about ital stew and vegetarian food, King Ital was really the epitome of how a restaurant was supposed to be. I didn’t meet him at that time but I always heard about him and was longing to meet him. I finally met him in Cross Roads where King Ital was. Everybody used to go there to get good food and good vibration,” he said.

“When I found out that he was King Ital, it was like meeting the ‘Rasta Claus’. I felt like a little youth dipping his hand in a jar full of candy,” he said.

“When I started to know him now, I realised that he had a stroke. I used to go to his house and visit him. I am a deacon in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church; sometimes I would link him and we would read the Bible together and talk about spiritual things alongside physical, earthly things. He expressed to me that he wanted to be baptised in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Two years ago he baptised in the church and got the name Medin. The ties got more closer and closer with him. I would go visit him, reason with him, and watch cricket together, and he would call me at least two times a week,” he said.

“He was really somebody who showed you how to carry out your duties. He is really going to be missed. We really love him.”

Ibby Lion also recalled talking with people who sell in Coronation Market in downtown Kingston who shared stories of how Phillips would feed people in the 1970s without reward.

“Everybody inna Jamaica weh a cook ital and vegetarian food should know that King Ital is really the king of ital,” he said.

Phillips’s niece, Sophia Phillips, remembered him as her “fly” uncle.

“Growing up, a couple of my uncles were Rastas but uncle Prince always had the nicest and the longest locks. He was the fly one, the dressy one out of the seven brothers of them,” she said.

“He was always known for his restaurant. He was well dressed and could cook very well. Family-wise he was so loving. He spoiled me. Anything I wanted, I got from him. He was really kind. He loved his Polo shirts so whenever I travelled I always got him some. He always had me as his fly niece because I love to dress up. He always encouraged me to do good and keep a positive mind,” she said.

“Business-wise, I used to own a beauty salon and he was just very supportive of whatever I do that was positive,” Phillips added.

“My uncle was very soft spoken and humble. Even when he got sick in the latter years, he was still jovial. He always had our pictures looking at them and when a family member came along, he had a picture to show everyone.

“Being sick, it took a lot away from his pride. He still put out a strong, positive energy during all of that regardless, and just before he died he always called me,” she said.

Phillips fathered three children — Prince Jr, Cheryl, and Latoya.

Phillips was 67 when he died.