WINNSBORO – ‘He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?’ Micah 6:8
Herman Grady “Phil” Phillips Jr., husband of Hannah Patrick Phillips, died May 11, 2015. Absolute in his faith in Jesus Christ, uncompromising in his ethics, and fierce in his loyalty, he was a thoughtful man who truly made a difference in the lives of others. Although he was an astute businessman and leader, he considered his greatest accomplishment his family. He was deeply devoted to his wife Hannah of nearly 62 years, and loved his children and grandchildren wholeheartedly. He especially enjoyed hunting and gathering with his family at “The Philanna” at Lake Wateree. Mr. Phillips was the epitome of a Southern Christian gentleman.
Visitation will be held at Pope Funeral Home, 521 South Congress St. on Wednesday, May 13, 6 -8 p.m. The funeral service will be held at First Baptist Church, 1373 Newberry Road on Thursday, May 14, 11 a.m. with burial following at the First Baptist Church Cemetery on Hudson Street Extension.
Mr. Phillips was born in Canton, Ga., on March 8, 1928, to Lucile Coker Phillips and Herman Grady Phillips Sr. He attended Mt. Zion Institute in Winnsboro, and graduated high school from The Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tenn. He graduated from Mars Hill Junior College and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and served in the United States Army from 1950 to 1952 before joining his father at Phillips Granite Company.
President of Phillips Granite Company for three and a half decades, Mr. Phillips loved his work. Through his gentle and loving nature, it was evident that he considered his employees an extension of his family. He was a past president of the American Monument Association and was a member of the Monument Builders of North America.
He was a faithful and lifelong member of the First Baptist Church of Winnsboro, where he served as a Deacon, a Sunday school teacher, a Trustee and on the Finance Committee. He was instrumental in the formation and development of the First Baptist Church Cemetery. He cared almost daily for the maintenance and growth of the cemetery in its earliest days.
Finding joy in service, Mr. Phillips was involved in numerous organizations; he served as a Director of the Bank of Fairfield and later a Director of the Winnsboro branch of South Carolina National Bank; a Board member of Charleston Supply Company, Matthews Morse Supply Company, Augusta Mill Supply, Southeastern Steel Company of Charlotte, and Mill and Contractors Supply Company of Wilmington, N.C. He also served as president of Commercial Realty Corporation of Columbia.
A Paul Harris Fellow, Mr. Phillips was a past president and member of the Rotary Club of Winnsboro for 56 years. He was especially fond of hosting Rotary Exchange students from Austria, Switzerland and England. He was a lifetime member of the American Legion, a charter member of the Fairfield County Historical Society, charter member and former president of the Winnsboro Cotillion, a member of Wateree Homeowners Association and the Wateree River Alliance.
In 1986, the Phillips family was chosen as “The South Carolina Family of the Year” based on the family’s unity, individual growth and service to the community. In one of the letters of recommendation, Mr. Phillips was described as a steady anchor that grounded his family, as well as a lighthouse that led his family.
In addition to his wife, Mr. Phillips is survived by: four children, Herman Grady (Dora) Phillips III, of White Oak; Jane Patrick Phillips of White Oak; Helen Phillips (Scott) Vanvick of Greenville and Hannah Phillips (Dr. Charles) Blanton of Charlotte; 12 grandchildren, Hannah Brown Phillips (Rev. Chris) Spires; Ruthie Phillips (Dr. Sam) Joyner; Mary Grace Phillips (Eric) Faulk; Sarah Phillips (Bradley); Herman Grady Phillips IV; Rebekah Phillips; Caroline Vanvick; Matthew (Virginia) Vanvick; Will Vanvick; Virginia Blanton; Charles Blanton and Brown Blanton; and four great-grandchildren, Henning Spires; Whitman Spires; McTeer Spires and Fitz Joyner. He is also survived by his sister, Anne Phillips Hamilton of Greenville, and was pre-deceased by his sister, Betty Jo Phillips Washington of Conway.
The family would like to thank the entire staff of National Health Care Parklane, Fairfield Medical Associates and Fairfield Memorial Hospital for the loving care and support he received.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to The Gideons International (P.O. Box 1142, Winnsboro, S.C. 29180) to provide God’s Word through the distribution of Bibles, or to The First Baptist Church Cemetery Fund (P. O. Box 59, Winnsboro, S.C. 29180).
‘We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.’ 2 Corinthians 5:8
Pope Funeral Home is assisting the Phillips family.
Online condolences can be sent to the Phillips family at www.popefuneralhomesc.com.
