The funeral service of Dr Mrs Anne Phillips took place on the 28th of August and was attended by two veterans of our association. They are the current and previous London branch chairmen, Mr Kerry Ijete and Mr James Asak respectively.
We salute these two honourable members for taking the time to represent our alma mater in honour of an outstanding and distinguished lady who gave so much to so many. The following excerpts from a befitting tribute written by no less Professor Frederick Akporobaro Emeritus gives some idea of the magnitude of her work:
A tribute to Dr. Mrs Anne Philips
Mrs. Anne Phillips, A dedicated, kind and very resourceful and adaptive missionary doctor, a great and loving Godmother to many Nigerians, a senior and distinguished tutor and examiner at the West African postgraduate college of physicians. We mourn your passing, and honour you and give thanks for your good works as physician and Christian service in Nigeria, in Isoko, at Onitsha and at Kabba, central Nigeria.
2. With your work as a physician you were a quiet candle that shon brilliantly and kindly and healing and caring with Christian love.
3. We who speak through this are the many whose lives you touched with love and kindness and supported in Isoko land and especially at Emevor and James Welch Grammar School. We honour you.
4. We appreciate you and thank you for your life's work now meritoriously brought to an end.
5. We note that you came to James Welch Grammar School in its early years of
1958 to 1967 along with your husband, Mr. J. Q. S Philips and stayed and worked till
1967 the year of the Nigerian civil war. During this period you and your husband John built up and developed the school into an excellent educational institution in the high Anglican mode,and with your calling as a christian doctor you saved many lives from premature death and disabilities. We honour you for this.
6. We remember with deep appreciation that you and John endeavoured and took much trouble to recruit to James Welch a crop of good and dedicated christian spirited Englishmen such as Mr. Rodney Hicks, Mr. K.T.Thompson, Mr. Peter Rab and Mr. Tim Slater and the great David O’Neill ,all of whose good work along with yours inspired and influenced many of the boys in the school into christian life and successful life achievements For this we honour you. Many people in Isokoland especially, at Emevor, Iyede, Owhe and Oleh towns remember with thanks to God, the busy charitable hospital you set up with boldness and Christian vision in 1960 along the Isoko Ughelli road close to Emevor. To this hospital numerous people from Urhobo, Itsekiri, Ijaw and kwale land and tribes came for very urgent medical treatment following excellent reports of your good, kind, honest treatment and free consultation and kindness For this we honour you and give thanks to God.
The full tribute will be available soon.
