Cape Reinga sits at the top end of the North Island of New Zealand. It is where two oceans meet – the Tasman Sea and the Pacific – and the Maoris believe that spirits, at the end of life’s journey, descend into the ocean at this point.
I fancy Phil would have appreciated the idea. As it is, on May 13, I was in the Matakana region, visiting the Ascension winery, where I was, quite by coincidence, tasting a wine that went by the name of Benediction, and so I raised a glass to toast Phil’s life.
I remember meeting Phil first in Kuching, Sarawak, where he was working at the then-Sheraton Damai. This was really a resort that was back of the beyond. To get there, one had to take a longboat ride from Kuching and the resort was barely opened when I visited. But there was Phil, larger than life and an ever-congenial host to a young, nosy reporter.
I ran into him again in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, where he was director of sales at the then-Beaufort Resort, now Shangri-La’s Tanjong Aru. He was instrumental in arranging a meeting with someone that would change the course of my life and for that, he remained special in my life.
Phil moved out to Asia from the UK in the early 80s and fell in love with the region as one does. He spent most of his career in Thailand where he worked at the Montien Riverside.
Phil had a hearty appetite for life. He had eyes so big it was almost he was devouring life through them and a smile so wide that you couldn’t help but smile in reciprocity.
He was always jovial and full of laughs. And he loved his tipple. He was a frequent visitor when I was living in Hong Kong and I will remember those days fondly – mostly that crazy colourful jacket he loved wearing at the Hong Kong Sevens. You couldn’t fault his flamboyance.
In the last few years though, his health failed and he returned to the UK to be cared for by his family.
Here’s the letter they’d like to share with friends.
Phil Jackson
February 24th 1949 – May 13th 2012
We are very sad to tell you that our dear brother, Phil, died on Sunday, May 13th, at his home in Chilton, Oxfordshire.
He was closely accompanied by his family, many friends and the wonderful
staff at Knightsward House. Phil frequently expressed his heartfelt
gratitude to everyone and we know he felt very supported right to the end.
The funeral and celebration of Phil’s life will be held on Monday 21st May
at 1 pm at Corpus Christi Church in Headington, followed by his burial at
Wolvercote Cemetery and afterwards at the Abingdon Arms in Beckley.
There is also the opportunity to visit Philip in the Chapel of Rest (details
below) on Friday 18th May between 12 and 4.30 pm. or on Monday 21st May
from 9 to 11 am.
Instead of flowers, Phil asked for donations to be made to either The Clive
Project or Restore (see details below), charities which have supported him
magnificently over the last 10 years.
Tony, Rose-marie, Anne-Marie, Jim and Christina
Corpus Christi Church
Margaret Road
Headington
Oxford OX3 8AJ
Wolvercote Cemetery
447 Banbury Road
Oxford OX2 8EE
Abingdon Arms Pub
Beckley OX3 9UU
Chapel of Rest
Cooperative Funeralcare
2 Hendred Street
Cowley
Oxford OX4 2ED
Charities
Restore (Charity No 274222)
Fleet Meadow, Sandringham Road
Didcot OX11 8TP
Young Dementia UK (Charity No
1085595) [The Clive Project]
PO Box 315
Witney
Oxfordshire OX28 1ZN
