Edwin Charles Phillips

On the evening of Tuesday, August 7, 2018, at South Granville Park Lodge in Vancouver, Ed Phillips passed away after contracting a sudden severe infection and fever. Mercifully, death came quickly and peacefully near the end of an eventful year which saw him celebrate his 100th birthday with his many family, friends and business colleagues.

They had all come together this past year on two memorable occasions to honour the man they knew as a loving and wise husband, father, uncle and grandfather, devoted servant of the church, and businessman of uncommon accomplishment and integrity.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Margaret, and five of his six children, Carol (McClelland), Glen, Earl, Jane (McGrath) and Sue. The children's mother, Elizabeth, beloved wife of 60 years, was deceased in 2002, as was eldest daughter Diane in 2013. "Pop" is also mourned by his nine grandchildren, Tobin, Sarah, Carolin, Evan, Ted, David, Jamie, Michelle and Michael, as well as numerous great-grandchildren.

Born in Saskatoon in 1917, Edwin Phillips was a pastor's son, the eldest of seven children born to Charles Henry and Beatrice (Johnson) Phillips. His father's ministry took the family from the glamourous Hollywood, CA of the twenties to the dustbowl Canadian prairies of the depression years. Eddie left Lethbridge at 20 and headed east by cattle train, landing in Toronto and a junior brand manager's job at Loblaws where he met Elizabeth Johnston, and wed in 1942. By then Ed was in an RCAF officer's uniform, and served throughout WWII as a flying instructor. With the end of the war, Ed and Betty settled in Chatham, Ont. where he worked for Dominion Sugar Company and they had their first of six children.

Two years later they moved back to Toronto and Ed Phillips began his swift rise in executive ranks, first as assistant to the president of Consumers Gas, then to Trane Company Canada where he became general manager before the age of 40, and later president. In 1968 he moved his family to Vancouver for a special assistant's post with Westcoast Transmission which quickly turned into vice-president, president, then CEO, and finally chairman of the board. By his retirement in 1982, Westcoast Energy had grown into one of North America's largest pipeline companies.

By any measure, Ed Phillips's business career, which also included a host of major corporate directorships, was outstanding -- even remarkable, considering it was achieved with only a high school education.

For all his success in business his leadership was just as inspiring in the service of God and his church. Ed was a founding member, treasurer and elder of Westway Christian Church in Etobicoke, Ont., a church plant of Keele Street Church of Christ in Toronto, where his father once pastored.

And dear to his heart were the two colleges CH Phillips founded, Alberta Bible College and Puget Sound College of the Bible. Ed’s faithful financial support through the years was an act of respect for these fine institutions, and love for his parents. Theirs was a lesson in Christian servant-hood Ed Phillips learned well and continued to practise as a member of West Point Grey Baptist Church, and St. John's Shaughnessy Anglican, well into his 90s -- and to the end.

Rejoice and be glad

For great is your reward in heaven.

--Matthew 5:12

Memorial Service will be held:

Saturday, August 25 at 2:00 p.m.

West Point Grey Baptist Church

4509 West 11th Avenue, Vancouver

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in ECP’s honour to Alberta Bible College:

By cheque:

Alberta Bible College

635 Northmount Dr NW

Calgary, AB T2K 3J6

Credit/Debit Cards:

Call Jean Myers at ABC 403-282-2994