For his actions in saving 382 Jews during the Nazi Occupation of the Netherlands in World War II, he was recognized in 1996 by Yad Vashem as a Righteous Among the Nations.

The second child, he was the only son of Anton Philips and his wife Anne Henriëtte Elisabeth Maria de Jongh.

He was introduced to the Oxford Group in 1934, the Christian movement that was the forerunner of Moral Re-Armament (MRA) and Initiatives of Change (IofC).

The couple had seven children: Digna Hintzen-Philips (14 September 1930 – 7 February 2018, who married Peter Hintzen and has Herman-Frederik and Rein), Anton Frederik (Ton) (b.

Learning of the expected occupation of the Netherlands by Nazi Germany in World War II in 1940, his father Anton Philips, young nephew Frans Otten, and other Philips family members escaped from the Netherlands and fled to the United States, taking company capital with them.

It was aided, in part, by an appreciation of the recently proven versatility of aviation and the availability of former military aircraft, crew and airfields.

Following the end of hostilities, company executives saw the potential in this adaptable and available means of transport, facilitating visits to production and administration centers quickly.

The night he died, supporters paid their tribute in a minute's silence for their "Mr. Frits" prior to the match (PSV-Fenerbahçe 2-0, 6 December 2005).

For this occasion, Frits Philips wanted to give the people of Eindhoven a beautiful gift to support education.

In 1986, Frits Philips launched the Caux Round Table (CRT) group of senior European, Japanese and American business executives.

The CRT's Principles for Business were published in 1994, incorporating western concepts (human dignity...) and Japanese ones (kyosei, interpreted as “living and working together for the common good”).

An international code of good practices written by such senior industrialists from such varied backgrounds remains exceptional today.

The auction catalog included a foreword called "Memories of my father" by Digna Hintzen-Philips, the eldest daughter of Frits Philips.

A goblet of the "Voerlieden" guild attributed to Engelbertus Moorrees, master in Nijmegen, with year 1781 engraved, was sold for 36,000 euro.