Obituary

Eileen Loretta Phillip was born on April 21, 1932, in Moriah, Tobago. Though the doctors said she passed away due to complications from Alzheimer’s, it is believed that she thought Trump would get a second term in office and decided to get out of here quickly. Always politically active, Eileen volunteered for the PNM party in Trinidad and Tobago, helping out at community meetings and assisting at the voting polls. Once she moved to America, she continued to be civically engaged and socially aware; in her kitchen hung pictures of Jesus Christ, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama - her holy trinity.

A small woman with a big personality and a great sense of humor, Eileen’s laugh could light up a room. Known for telling it like it is, if she didn’t like you, you knew it. But if she loved you, there was nothing she wouldn’t do for you. No valley was too low, no bail was too high! An independent thinker and a natural-born leader, Eileen was the eldest of five. She’d frequently remind her children that she was the brightest child in her class, and although she only had an eighth-grade education, she was often the smartest adult in the room. She was financially savvy and understood the importance of saving, investing, and earning multiple streams of income. Known for her work ethic and business acumen, Eileen was the susu lady who fulfilled many roles: banker, investor, financial advisor, and friend. She provided a necessary service to the community, and as immigrants often lack access to traditional lending sources, Eileen’s susu provided a trustworthy, merry-go-round alternative for saving and investing money. Because of Eileen’s susu, countless relatives were able to save up for big purchases like college tuition and down payments for their homes. (This is according to those relatives. Eileen was too classy to help and tell.)

She was also known to bake and sew, and before retiring, Eileen worked as a housekeeper, but perhaps her most important role of all was “matriarch.” A mother of six, who also took in five of her nieces and nephews after their mother passed away, Eileen raised up to eleven children at one time in a two-bedroom home. All children (now adults) reported never feeling cramped and never going hungry. Apparently Eileen was also a magician. After retiring, Eileen walked and picked up cans to keep herself busy, but seeing how profitable it was, she leveled up and got a station wagon --- effectively stunting on her shopping cart- pushing competition, and making up to $30,000 in one year alone! Talk about living the American dream. A family-oriented woman, who would drive miles and fly across oceans to connect and visit with relatives, Eileen was the glue that held an enormous family together. She leaves behind to continue her legacy her husband, Norman Phillip, her six children, Allison, Ann Marie, Cheryl, Earl, Hubert, and Lennox; twelve grandchildren, Autumn, Brandon, Jaden, Jason, Jenelle, Jeremy, Joshua, Justin, Karen, Kerry, Krystal, Shanice; her siblings, Christobelle and Ferdinand, her great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and countless relatives and friends. She joins in the sky her first grandchild, Lucien Phillip, and her siblings, Mervyn and Cynthia. Rest in peace to a trailblazer, a legend, and an icon. May her laugh and her legacy live forever.