Sept 28 farewell for Sister Minnie
Aremembrance service for restaurateur Minion “Sister Minnie” Phillips will be held at Sunken Garden in Hope Gardens, St Andrew, on September 26.
Phillips died at the University Hospital of the West Indies on Monday after suffering complications related to a cardiac arrest, which affected her brain and lungs. She had been admitted to the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit last Thursday. She was 68.
Her death was confirmed by her son, Member of Parliament Mikhail Phillips.
“Her funeral service is set for September
28 at 10:30 am at the Mona Chapel at the University of the West Indies in Kingston,” he told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.
The celebrated “ital” chef was known to satiate appetites of A-listers including
Bob Marley, Dennis Brown and Denzel Washington.
Rita Marley, Marley’s widow, remembered her in a Facebook post.
“Our beloved Sister Minnie, rest in the hands of the Almighty. We love and miss you,” she wrote.
Anthony “Sangie” Davis, who co-wrote the song Wake Up and Live with Marley, recalled his friendship with Minnie.
“When I was around Bob, she would always come around, she was a lover of music,” Davis told the Jamaica Observer. “I don’t remember which meal Bob loved the most from her, but she used to make a lot of African dishes. Mi not even remember the names because I am getting old, but I do remember seh it did nice,” he continued.
Sister Minnie not only stood out in the kitchen, the devout Rastafarian made her mark as an advocate for reparation from slavery.
She, alongside ex-husband (current Opposition Leader) Dr Peter Phillips, were members of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
“A person like Sister Minnie deserves all the accolades she can get,” Davis asserted. “I remember her as a strong member of Twelve Tribes from the 1970s. Brother Peter was a member at the time. I send my condolences to the family. She was a strong advocate for Africa and was always interested in going to the Motherland. When it came to the ‘back to Africa’ movement or any talk of Africa she was engaged.”
Sister Minnie was proprietor of Minnie’s Ethiopian Herbal Health Food Restaurant in Liguanea, St Andrew. Davis said he saw her last at the funeral service for Allie Cole, son of Jamaican footballer Allan “Skill” Cole, last year.
“She called me over and we had a little reasoning. She was truly a nice person,” he said.