philipgalanis

Philip Galanis’ last column in the Nassau Guardian seemed to have been a goodbye even though no one realized it. His sudden death on Friday stunned his family, friends, and associates in the political and financial arena.

He wrote his final column Consider This on October 7, thanking his supporters including Nassau Guardian Editor Candia Dames.”

“He was saying goodbye without realizing it,” Dames said in an article written about the death of a prominent accountant and former politician.

Dames, who considered him a friend, recounted that a week before his passing, Galanis recalled memories of his friend George Smith, a fellow member of the Progressive Liberal Party and former parliamentarian who died suddenly last year on May 26, at 82 from a heart attack.

“He spoke about how much he missed his close friend and brother…It was heartbreaking for Phil, an incredible loss.”

Galanis’ staff at HLB Bahamas, an accounting firm where he was the founder and managing partner, even threw him an office party, for the sake of it, the week prior to his death.

Galanis was thrilled.

“He showed off the card that was given to him with all of the “thank you” messages.”

Galanis celebrated his last birthday on August 23 with friend and fellow Archon Dr. Livingston Marshall and brothers of Delta Lambda Boulé. He turned 70 with Champaign and a cigar.

“The following morning, there was an intimate “toast and roast” brunch with his closest relatives and friends. There was no roasting, but plenty toasting, with those in attendance sharing stories of how they met Phil, how he had impacted their lives and what he meant to them,” the article continued.

The 70^th birthday celebration was memorable for Galanis.

“He said he felt great.”

His godfather, Sir Arthur Foulkes, the former governor general, shocked at his godson’s death, still believes Galanis “had even more to give.”

Philip Galanis and George Smith shared the same goal: keep the Progressive Liberal Party as the government of the Bahamas. The two strategists before resigning from frontline politics, rose to the top, and after leaving, were involved in high-level decision-making within their party, plotting to gain advantage over the Free National Movement and win the hearts of the electorate.

Galanis, 70, and the founder of HLB Bahamas, an accounting firm, died unexpectedly at his residence on Friday, October 11. He suffered a cardiac arrest.

Smith, 82, one of the signatories to the Bahamas constitution, died unexpectedly last year on Friday, May 26. He too died at his residence when he suffered a heart attack.

Their hearts were intertwined, calling themselves ‘brothers’ and often spent time together. Their last outing was two days before Smith’s death, and Galanis expected to see Smith on that fateful Friday.

Just one week before Galanis died, reports are he spoke of his missing for Smith.

“It was heartbreaking for Phil, an incredible loss,” a Nassau Guardian article read.

When Smith died, Galanis said, “I really valued our friendship and deeply admired and respected his intellect and his commitment to the ideals for which he fought all his life.

“George was a progressive and a liberal in the classical sense, and frequently expressed his genuine concern about the plight of the poor and disadvantaged in our society. George was the personification of patriotism. He loved this country, his Exuma (where he served as a longtime member of parliament), and the Bahamian people throughout the length and breadth of the land.

“His sudden loss has created an unfathomable void that will take an immeasurably long time to fill.”

Galanis and Smith were outspoken. But their friend Raynard Rigby, former national chairman of the PLP said the men differ in expressions. “George would say his words and Phil would just smile and disagree.”

Galanis spoke his mind in a Nassau Guardian’s weekly column, “Consider This” and Smith was a regular pundit on national issues.

Prime Minister Philip Davis loved them both.

He appointed Smith as a non-resident high commissioner to Singapore and as an advisor to the planning committee for the country’s 50th Independence, just months before he died.

Galanis was appointed chairman of the Bahamas Trade Commission and acted as the country’s chief negotiator to the World Health Organization.

Many in the financial and political spheres are mourning the death of Philip Galanis.

His career spanned over four decades, marked by his leadership as the former Managing Partner of Ernst & Young in Nassau and the founding of HLB Bahamas, an accounting firm.

Galanis’ death was confirmed by Prime Minister Philip Davis on Friday morning whom he described as a “progressive warrior and a nation builder” with “unshakable integrity.” Davis said, “He spoke his mind, always believing in the power of truth and the importance of standing up for what he felt was right for our country.”

Galanis was heralded for his candid views and his passion for public discourse.

His weekly column, Consider This, engaged readers on national issues and he had written a book, All Things Considered.

Galanis once served as President of The Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants and The Institute of Chartered Accountants of the Caribbean. Beyond his professional achievements, Galanis was a respected former PLP parliamentarian, serving 15 years as a politician–both the House of Assembly and the Senate, once serving as MP for Englerston.

Galanis was a staunch supporter of a “Davis-Cooper” leadership team and had wished for Alfred Sears to be chairman.

When the Free National Movement won the election in 2017, the outspoken member of the PLP then suggested that Alfred Sears lead the party’s affairs in the Senate, or it would “lose out” on its “best chance to signal positive change.”

“The PLP must re-engineer itself. The party has to re-engineer, reconsider and then recast,” Galanis said. “The electorate wants to see a level of change within the Progressive Liberal Party. The electorate wants us to accept their voice and rule.”

When he no longer served as a parliamentarian, Galanis acted as a consultant to the PLP government for many years.

In 2012, when Loretta Butler-Turner accused him of being a coordinator of the ‘Vote Yes’ campaign–the gambling referendum, he responded:

“I am a free citizen and I have no responsibility, nor am I an officer in the PLP. So I am free to offer my consultancy services to whomever I please just as she (Butler-Turner) is free to bury whoever dies without reference to political affiliation. I am also extremely offended that it is suggested that I am trying to advance my own personal gain by doing this. Everything I do is for the betterment of the county. I do not think it looks bad. I have a view and I believe it is an activity that needs to be regulated and we need to tax persons that benefit from it.”

Galanis was Chairman of The Bahamas Trade Commission and was the nation’s Chief Negotiator during World Trade Organization accession talks.

On Tuesday, three days before he died, Galanis told Tribune Business that the Bahamas should consider opening new trade routes, considering Hurricane Milton and its anticipated storm damage in Florida. He added that he was already in talks with Brazil to directly transport goods and services to the Bahamas.

“It also accelerates the need for us to be able to offload goods in Grand Bahama as opposed to having them transit to North America and be trucked back down the east coast and shipped here. It’s the definition of insanity. We are increasing the cost as much as 20 percent by getting goods into the Bahamas via that route.

“We’ll make recommendations to the government. That is the role of the Trade Commission; to find ways and means of facilitating these kinds of arrangements…We really have to find alternative means of shipping and transportation to The Bahamas from the point of sale.”

Galanis died at his residence. He was 70.