Brice Phillips Sr., who with his wife, Shirley, founded Phillips Seafood Restaurants, died Friday at the age of 90.
The couple, both of whom were natives of Hooper’s Island, on the Chesapeake Bay, started Phillips Crab House in Ocean City in 1956. The “crab shack” grew with the beach town into a restaurant that seated 1,200 and covered a square block.
From there they added six restaurants, franchises in airports and sales in supermarkets.
Brice Phillips was recognized in the last will and testament of his longtime friend, former governor and comptroller William Donald Schaefer, as “one of the nicest men I have ever met.”
In addition to his wife of 68 years, he is survived by sons Stephen and Jeffrey, daughters-in-law Maxine and Janet, eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.