Rest In Peace, Dear Mr. Phillips!

Sad news about our former teacher Vernon Phillips who taught us at the Frank Anthony Public School (FAPS) in Delhi. I heard from his daughter Zoë Restorick that he passed away recently in Ottawa, Canada. “It’s hard to believe that he’s really gone,” she said.

Looking Back!

My FAPS classmates and I remember Mr. Phillips fondly. He taught us Geography in middle school, part of a Social Studies curriculum. He also taught English. I remember him being a wonderful teacher as well as a kind and lovely man! He and his wife Marjorie Texeira (also a FAPS school teacher) moved to Canada. 

He was handsome and she was pretty! As impressionable 12- and 13-year-olds, we were excited and dazzled by such a classic romance! Those were the days when we had our noses stuck in Mills and Boon romantic novels!

Fulfilling Career

I understand from Zoë that, after he left FAPS, her father had a long and fulfilling teaching career in Canada. He became vice principal of a school while her mother was the supervisor of several daycare centers for young children.  

Zoë posted on FaceBook, “He had the most contagious joie de vivre and made friends everywhere he went. And, as much as he loved people and animals, he loved his food! From Anglo-Indian cuisine to poutine, he loved it all! He loved to laugh, he never stopped learning, and he made us groan with his classic dad jokes!” 

Keeping Memories Alive!

Apparently, Mr. Phillips also liked Suji Halwa and Kheer  — that’s semolina pudding and rice pudding! I found Zoë just by chance (coincidence, really) while glancing at a FaceBook group, Anglo Indian Kitchen, where I saw a post from her saying that she was trying to keep her Dad’s memory alive by cooking the foods he enjoyed, such as Suji Halwa!  She mentioned that he’d recently passed. When I saw the name, I just had to ask: is this the same Vernon Phillips from FAPS in Delhi — and it was! 

More sad news! When I wondered what became of her mother, Zoë said “my Mum is still alive but suffers from Alzheimer’s and has been in a home for many years now.”  

Thankfully, Zoë also has great memories of her mother whom she recalls as always being “glamorous, well-groomed, and well-dressed… she loved to entertain family and friends and create mouthwatering feasts for us all!”

RIP

One expects that, with the passage of time, our former teachers will pass. Still, it’s sad when it happens. May Zoë and family find comfort in all the special memories! And, Rest in Peace, dear Mr. Phillips!  

Ludi Joseph

New York

February 16, 2022

Update from Zoë: “My parents divorced when I was three. They subsequently remarried. My mother is currently known as Marjorie Gordon. Our blended family includes a total of six siblings and 10 grandchildren. Dad was 81 when he died.”

Pics courtesy of Zoë Restorick. 

Vernon Phillips

Vernon Phillips

Vernon Phillips with grandson, Brennan

  

Marjorie Texeira