A gracious lady

There was a memorial service this afternoon for a lady who played a very special part in community life and the hospitality sector in Rio. Together with her husband, Jim, Annie Phillips founded and ran the Lord Jim pub in Ipanema, which was hugely popular in its time. Some time after Jim died, Annie took her energy, charisma and flair to the iconic Copacabana Palace hotel, where among other things, she introduced a fabulous Victorian style tea in the pergola restaurant. She transformed guest relations and was responsible for receiving VIP guests.
 
After the service, we attended an event in celebration of her life at the hotel itself, where a number of the people who had worked with and under her gave moving testimonies to her kindness, indefatigable energy and the way she helped people to realize the potential they may never have realized they had.
 
In the corridor of the mezzanine floor, site of the ballrooms and salons, hang photos of the royalty, films stars and celebrities who have visited the hotel over the years. Annie’s photo now hangs there, alongside that of Princess Diana and the other VIPs she received, the most fitting tribute of all.