My Tribute to Dr. Phil Gilbert
MY TRIBUTE TO DR. PHIL GILBERT
Once in a while – perhaps once in a lifetime – you might meet a person who is unlike anyone else you’ve ever met; someone who you might refer to as “one in a million.” The late Dr. Phil Gilbert was that person for me. This is my tribute to him.
Most people knew him as “Doc,” but to me he was simply Phil. I had my own special greeting for him, and when I saw him or heard him on the other line of a phone call, I would call out, “PHEEEEEEEEL Gilbert!”, in my best high-pitched voice. It was my special way of letting him know, “You are my special Phil, and I don’t greet anyone else like this.” And his special way of greeting me was, “Hey stupid!” And that was music to my ears, because I knew that meant, “You’re my buddy.” And those greetings were always, always followed by a hearty laugh on both our parts.
I met Phil circa 1995 or so. I was a young sales rep who popped in on him one day unannounced. He was very friendly and welcoming and genuinely seemed to take an interest in me and what I had to say. It’s been said that you can tell a lot about a person by how they treat salespeople, telemarketers, and servers. And Phil’s fine character was on display that day of our first meeting. I instantly took a liking to him, and him to me.
From there we went on to become fast friends. He would never let me stay in a hotel when I came to his town, but always opened his home to me. Up until the time he and his wife Cathy moved in Cathy’s ailing mother to take care of her, I stayed in the Gilbert home about every six weeks or so for years and years. It was like a second home to me, and Phil and Cathy became like members of my own family, and they made me feel like one of theirs.
I remember his great love of golf, and he was a GREAT golfer! Phil tried to get some of that love of the game to rub off on me. But it never took. That didn’t matter, though. He seemed to love having me around anyway because we had other things in common, such as our interest in natural health and healing. He had many questions about how he could help more people with natural medicine protocols. He was always looking into an interesting new gadget for the practice, and he attended many of the seminars I put on with my company on functional medicine. He had a fascination with how he might help more people, but the busyness of his chiropractic care never allowed for those other interests to materialize to any great extent. Nevertheless, he was known as a great chiropractor who helped a lot of people and was loved by his patients, many of whom had been his patients for 40 years!
The Deeper Side of Phil
Our mutual love of God was one of the many elements that drew Phil and I together, and Jesus was the center of many talks we had. Although there is 18 years difference between our ages, Phil tre
ated me like an equal, and in fact he would actually lean on me for spiritual guidance fairly often. He was that kind of man. He was always wanting to go deeper spiritually, even to the point of inquiring of one much younger if he thought there was something he might learn.
I remember seeing some of the spiritual books he was reading on his coffee table, and each time I stayed at his house the TV was on a religious station during the breakfasts that Cathy so lovingly made for us. (And actually, those breakfasts were mostly for me. Phil was not a big breakfast eater, but he knew I was, so he and Cathy made sure I left the house well fed!)
Faith to Phil wasn’t a casual belief that was a peripheral part of his life, but rather the center of his life that guided everything he did. And he recognized his need for growth in his life of faith, proactively building himself up inwardly, addressing areas of weakness, and drawing closer to God with the Scriptures and his commitment to his local house of worship.
Phil was also quick to acknowledge some of the missteps he had made in his life, some of which impacted him in a big way. He had reached a place of humility that allowed him to own up to painful mistakes that had effected both him and others. He was very open about these things, and that honesty was not only endearing, but it was also an effective teaching tool. His message was, “Don’t do what I did in this area.”
In getting to know Phil and his background, I was struck by the fact that he wasn’t always a spiritual person. Like many of us, he had a bit of a checkered past. He had struggled to some degree with overuse of chemical substances in his earlier years – something that pulled at him even as he began walking with Christ and even during my early years of knowing him. He liked his dinner wine, for example, and he knew he liked it a bit too much. So one day he just abruptly decided to stop drinking altogether. He decided if he couldn’t keep his drinking under tight control, then he wouldn’t do it at all. The last several years of his life I never saw him have another drink of alcohol.
Phil’s Spirit of Joy
Even as Phil drew closer to his Savior and gave up the buzz of wine, his sense of humor and fun never waned. He didn’t need alcohol for that because it came naturally to 
him. God had given him a spirit of joy. Even while there was a deep, spiritual, and contemplative side to Phil, he was perhaps best known for that infectious joy that came out in a lot of fun and silliness. And oh, how I enjoyed that silly side of him! There is no one who could make me laugh like he did. And although I don’t consider myself an especially funny or witty person, he belly-laughed at the things I said all the time and made me feel like he really enjoyed my company. And I guess that’s how he made everyone feel.
I remember how he would call me on occasions and leave me ridiculous messages on my voice mail in various foreign accents, or if he happened to get ahold of me in person he would pretend to be a backwoods hick looking for nutritional advice for some outrageous-sounding health issue. The times we had together were riotous! Even when I knew he was going through some very tough things, I never saw him sullen or feeling sorry for himself. Never! He was always dispensing joy on others regardless of what he might have been going through.
Even in uncomfortable situations, Phil made the best of them and found the humor in them, putting people at ease in the process. I remember one evening after dining out together, he was driving us home and got pulled over for speeding and was ticketed. Even then, Phil was making wise cracks to the officer and had the officer cracking up. He didn’t get cranky, but sent that officer away happier for the experience. That is not only a fond memory, but an important lesson in life for me.
Phil the Family Man
One memory that sticks out to me about Phil was how devoted he was to Cathy. He often referred to her as “my hero.” He would stop sometimes in the midst of our silliness and get very contemplative as he talked about Cathy and marveled at her courage when she went through her bout with breast cancer. That battle was difficult on them both, and even amidst the struggles and aftermath of that experience – an aftermath that would leave a lifelong impact on the couple, Phil’s devotion to her never waned. Phil was the wild spirit, and Cathy was his 
stabilizing force, and he knew that. And for that, he adored her. He loved her ‘til the end.
I was impressed also with how Phil and Cathy held together a Brady Bunch-like family, combining children from their previous marriages, and how smoothly that seemed to operate by the time I entered the picture. Perhaps it was not always like that, but they found a way with God’s grace to make it work, and it appeared to me there was a lot of love in the family from both sides. I was impressed by the fact that Leigh his biological daughter and Tad his stepson both worked for him in his clinic, and there didn’t seem to be any drama in that situation, at least none that I could tell. Leigh and Tad both worked for Phil for many years up until the time of his death, and that’s a sign of a good boss and a good father. Phil passionately loved his children, and I could tell he genuinely loved his step children as well. And the stepchildren seemed to love Phil as much as his biological children did. But then again, everyone seemed to love Phil. Everyone felt like they were Phil’s best friend.
Phil’s Lasting Legacy
It just doesn’t seem possible that this bright light was taken from us. He did lead a good long life, however. His 73 years were so full of life and energy it just didn’t seem possible that he would pass so suddenly. But as the Bible says, the span of man’s life is 70 years, and if by reason of strength, perhaps 80. And Phil got the most out of those 73 years, that’s for sure! There were so many people he left an indelible mark on, none more so than me, perhaps. I loved him, and he made sure I knew he loved me.
When I posted a shorter tribute to Phil on Facebook, one gal responded by saying that she was sure Phil is now in heaven making God laugh too, and I think that’s probably true. God anointed Phil with the spirit of joy, and that makes heaven even more attractive to me knowing he’s there.
Phil’s passing has been very hard on a lot of people because he will be so missed. But as I was in prayer the other day, tears streaming down my face as the emotions of Phil’s passing were still choking my voice as I tried to pray, I believe God gave me a glorious revelation that brought comfort to me. Rather than asking the questions regarding why Phil was taken from us, we should be focusing on the fact that Phil was an expression of God’s love to those of us who knew him. For that we should be thankful. If I ask why, the why question I should be asking is why was I one of the privileged ones to have known Phil and to have been one of his friends for the better part of 25 years. I believe God let it be known to me that morning in prayer that my Heavenly Father loves me, and one of His expressions of love toward me is having a man like Phil in my life for so many years. Unlike many of the “friends” in my life who have been fair weather friends, here for a short time and then gone when the road got rocky, Phil was a friend for life. His friendship never waned. And he would never fail to tell me goodbye without a big hug and the words, “I love ya.”
Yes, God has indeed been good to me. Thank you, Lord, for my friend Phil Gilbert, who I rejoice with now that he’s with You.
Phil Gilbert was a very unique man – one of a kind – and the world is not going to be the same without him. But we can take some of the life lessons he taught us and keep his legacy alive. That’s what I intend to do. Phil would not want us living in the past, but moving forward in great expectation of what is ahead.
I will miss you my friend. Save a place for me near yours! I’ll see you later!