Mr. William Berry “Bill” Phillips Sr., age 95, of Sandersville, died Tuesday, October 22, 2019. A funeral service will be held on Friday, October 25th at 11:00 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Sandersville with burial in Brownwood Cemetery. Reverend Charles Rector and Reverend Larry Giles will officiate. Pallbearers will be Rodney Berry Phillips, Ernest Niles Phillips, John Brooker, Sr., John Brooker, Jr., Randy Mayberry, Smith Dickson and Chris Tanner.
One of nine children, Mr. Phillips was born in Waynesville, NC., the son of the late Niles Plato Phillips and the late Mamie Freeman Phillips. Bill was raised in Waynesboro, VA, where he graduated high school and was drafted into the U.S. Navy. He proudly served his country during WWII, where much of his time was spent on the destroyer escort, the USS Durek 666. Following the war, Mr. Phillips worked as a U.S. Park Ranger at the Shenandoah National Park prior to attending Virginia Tech where he graduated with a degree in Geological Engineering. After graduation, he began working at National Lead Co. in Sweetwater, TN. Then in 1958, he went to work at Thiele Kaolin Company where he retired in 1992 as the company’s director of mining. Mr. Phillips was instrumental in starting land reclamation practices for Thiele, as well as, the first blood bank in Washington County. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church where he served as Clerk of the Session for many years. Mr. Phillips was a long-time member of the Sandersville Rotary Club where was a past president and he was also a member of the American Legion. Later in life, Mr. Phillips became an artist and loved sharing his art with family and friends. He is predeceased by his wife Lloydene “Deanie” Phillips.
Survivors are; his children, Penny Phillips Pittman and her husband Neil and William Berry Phillips Jr. all of Sandersville; grandchildren, Margaret Levie and her husband Danny of Montezuma and Elizabeth Pittman Phillips and her husband Justin of Fitzgerald and great grandchildren, Margaret “Maggie” Levie and William Wesley “Will” Levie and Jackson Kade Phillips.
The family will be at the home of Penny and Neil Pittman on Hwy 15 North, Sandersville. They will receive friends on Thursday, from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church on North Harris Street in Sandersville.
Donations may be made to the First Presbyterian Church, 521 N. Harris Street, Sandersville, GA. 31082.
May and Smith Funeral Directors is in charge of these arrangements.