“Daddy… my daddy”: Family, friends remember James McPhee as a man who refused to be silent

“Daddy… my daddy.”

Those heartbreaking words echoed through the cemetery as one of James McPhee’s sons clung to his father’s coffin, overwhelmed by grief. Unable to stand on his own, he had to be held and comforted as loved ones said their final goodbye to a man they say lived with courage, conviction, and an unwavering loyalty to those he loved.

Inside Bible Truth Church, hymns filled the sanctuary as family, friends, political leaders, and colleagues gathered on Monday to celebrate the life of the businessman whose death has shaken the nation.

As the congregation sang “And Can It Be,” McPhee’s wife and sons embraced his casket one last time before it was closed forever.

“Daddy!”

“I love you,” one grieving son cried.

Moments later, another hymn gently carried the congregation through their sorrow: “It Is Well With My Soul.”

For those who knew James McPhee, his greatest legacy the way he showed up for people.

Killarney MP Michaela Barnett-Ellis described him as “bold and loyal.”

She recalled that although McPhee proudly referred to himself as “an Ingraham FNM,” he never wavered in supporting people he believed in.

“James never let me doubt that he believed in me,” she said, reflecting on her 2026 election campaign.

“He leaves us with an example—to stand for what you believe, to support others, and to always show up.”

Former Cabinet Minister Shane Gibson struggled to find the words as he sang “How Great Thou Art” before paying tribute to a man he had known for more than two decades.

“When James entered the room, everyone knew he was there,” Gibson said. “His presence was so warm, so genuine, so full of life.”

The two first met while serving in the Bahamas Public Services Union, where McPhee was a shop steward.

Although they belonged to opposing political parties, Gibson said that never mattered to James.

Recalling his own political ambitions, Gibson remembered McPhee telling him: “I ain’t no PLP… you is my man. I support you.”

It was a reflection, he said, of a man who valued him.

But the service also confronted the circumstances of his death.

McPhee was deliberately killed just weeks before he was expected to testify in a 2019 robbery case against a man accused of robbing him. Court records indicate the accused had been granted bail and allegedly failed to report to police 81 times before McPhee’s death.

Gibson questioned how so many missed bail check-ins could have gone without intervention.

“Eighty-one times,” he said, pausing as murmurs of agreement spread through the church.

“Eighty-one opportunities for the system to intervene.”

He suggested those missed reports represented missed opportunities that might have spared McPhee’s family the heartbreak they now carry.

Free National Movement Leader Michael Pintard remembered McPhee as a man who was never afraid to speak his mind.

“He had an opinion, and he was passionate about expressing it,” Pintard said.

Calling for an end to the violence affecting Bahamian communities, he added: “This carnage in our streets and in our homes has got to stop.”

Perhaps the most emotional tribute came from McPhee’s twin brother, John, who described him simply as “the best human being I had ever known.”

“He was humanitarian. He was brave. He was never ambiguous. You always knew where you stood with him.”

John rejected the idea that his brother’s life should be remembered only by the way it ended.

“He refused to bow,” he said.

“He refused to let darkness have the last word.”

He delivered one final plea.

“I am his twin. I am his other half.”

“Will someone help me carry this message?”

Credit: Virtual Funeral for video coverage