James A. Phills, M.D., M.Sc., F.R.C.P., 84, of Sarasota, died Jan. 23, 2010. Born Sept. 25, 1925, in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada, to Alda and Isaac Phills, Jim was an outstanding student who earned a B.Sc. from Acadia University, an M.D. from Dalhousie University and a M.Sc. from McGill University. He was a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, a Fellow of the American Academy of Allergy and Immunology and a member of the American College of Physicians and Surgeons. Jim practiced medicine for many years in Montreal, where he also served as an assistant professor at McGill University and president of the Association of Allergists and Immunologists of Quebec. He served on the board of number of community organizations, including the Montreal Negro Alumni Group, the Open Door Society, the Montreal Afro-American Community Center (as president), and the Chazy Lake Association (as a founder and president). Later in his career, he moved to Plattsburgh, N.Y., where he worked in private practice for 15 years and was on the staff of the Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital. Throughout his distinguished medical career, Jim was known a brilliant diagnostician and a caring doctor with an irrepressible sense of humor. In 1993, he retired to Sarasota, where he became an avid golfer, a loyal member of Rotary International and an active member of the Meadows community. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Gerine; a son, James A. Phills Jr., daughter-in-law, Deborah H Gruenfeld, and their two daughters, India and Dayssi Phills; brothers Neville, Charles and George Phills; and sisters Gertrude Tynes and Patsy Richardson. He was predeceased by his daughter, Wendi Anne Phills, and a sister, Doreen Best. A memorial service and reception will be at 3 pm. Saturday, March 6, at National Cremation Association and Memorial Center, 2990 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota. A second memorial service will be in London, Ontario, Canada, where his ashes will be interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens in the summer of 2010. Friends and family may contact the National Cremation Association for details of the service and reception. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to establish the James A. Phills M.D. Memorial Award, c/o External Relations, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, or to TideWell Hospice.