Dominica: Business tycoon and owner of Fort Young Hotel Phillip Nassief dies at 91

Government and citizens of Dominica are mourning the sudden demise of a renowned and outstanding businessman, Phillip Nassief.

Monday, 29th April 2024

Dominica: Business tycoon and owner of Fort Young Hotel Phillip Nassief dies at 91 (PC - Facebook)

The Government and citizens of Dominica are mourning the sudden demise of a renowned and outstanding businessman, Phillip Nassief. The Chairman of the Fort Young Hotel passed away on Sunday at the age of91 his residence in Belfast. Nassief’s major business undertaking in the Commonwealth of Dominica includes the Dominica Coconut Products which he began during the 1960s and later sold to Colgate Palmolive in 1995. In 1988, he purchased the Belfast Rum and Fort Young Hotel. He was also the visionary behind one of Dominica’s first luxury hotels, Secret Bay. The founder of the hotel, Gregor Nassief, said that his father was the spark that made the luxurious hotel possible. While sharing the incident, Gregor once said that when he was 12 years old, he free-climbed the cliffs at Secret Bay and dreamt of owning and residing on those lands one day. In his late 20s, he found that his father, Phillip Nassief, owned a ½ acre of land at Secret Bay, following which he immediately asked him if he could purchase it. Gregor continued to say that he agreed and had paid $9/square feet for the land and sold it to him for $7/ square feet. He outlined, “That was Dad, he wanted us to take nothing for granted for had always been generous.” This shows the huge impact that the tycoon businessman and leader had on Dominica’s economy. The impact will be felt for years to come as both his businesses, Belfast Rum and Fort Young Hotel, are thriving and contributing immensely to the country. Among Dominica’s business class, Nassief had always shown an effective understanding of development strategy and ethics of learning. In 1977, he was also honoured with the Dominica Award of Honor and in 2002, CARICOM awardedhim as one of the Caribbean’s Leading Voices of the 20th century. As the word about the sudden demise of Phillip Nassief is spreading, the citizens of Dominica are taking to social media to express their condolences to the family. “Tycoon businessman and leader Mr Phillip Nassief passed earlier today. He informed me that he had been ailing for some time. His impact on Dominica will be felt for years to come. Condolences to the entire Nassief family, friends, and loved ones,” wrote a user named Lofty Durand, while another user said, “An extraordinary man who positively impacted this island. Dominica is a better place to have him. May he RIP.”