Samuel Phillips

With profound sadness we announce the passing of our loving and devoted husband, father,
brother and friend to all whose lives he touched. Mr. Samuel Phillips, son of the late Samuel
Phillips and Willie Mae Fluellen Phillips was born on July 5, 1940. He entered into eternal rest
on February 20, 2021 peacefully in his wife’s arms surrounded by friends at his home in South
Carolina. He was 80 years old.
He was raised in Quitman, Georgia with his two brothers Horace and John and two sisters
Thelma and his twin Frankie where he graduated from Booker T. Washington High School. After
he left Georgia, he relocated to Hempstead, New York where he started his career at Grumman
Aerospace in Bethpage, Long Island as a parts expeditor for F-14 fighter planes. He then met
and married Elizabeth Caldwell. In that union came Christopher Thomas Phillips and Samantha
Phillips. Samuel then retired from Grumman in 1990 and started a second career where he
retired from the Village of Hempstead as a Water Plant Operator in 2004. In 2005, Sam and
Elizabeth relocated and lived their retirement years in Batesburg-Leesville, South Carolina.
Samuel committed his life and the remainder of his retirement to the Panther Pals mentoring
program as one of their mentors, exercising his civic duty by working the election polls as a poll
manager, and keeping his property immaculate! However, his most notable contribution to the
world was his voice. Sam, a devout Christian ministered through song. He sang for churches,
local events, weddings and for anyone who asked. His tenor voice was unmatched and
unparalleled until a rare cancer of the brain succumbed his body. He is preceded in death by his
brother Horace Phillips and his twin sister Frankie Phillips.
Left to cherish is fond memories is his wife of 46 loving years Elizabeth Phillips, his son
Christopher Thomas Phillips (Zoila), His daughter Samantha Phillips-Chester (Thomas), brother
John Phillips (Murleen), his sister Thelma Blankumsee, Sisters –in – Law Ruby Mae Junior,
Patricia Ann Caldwell (Joe), Roberta Webb (Eddie), Katie Mae Thompson and Mamie Joe Rowe,
nieces, nephews, Booker T. Washington H.S. class of 1959, a host of extended family and
friends and his church family at Mt. Horeb United Methodist Church.
His absence and his voice will be forever missed. In his immortal words on his 80 th birthday, “Be
good to yourselves, and if you don’t be good to yourselves, find someone to be good to you!”
A memorial service will be held on Saturday March 6, 2021 at 11:00am at Mt. Horeb United
Methodist Church, 1205 Old Cherokee Rd, Lexington, SC 29072.  In lieu of flowers, memorials in

Sam’s name may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, PO Box 50, Memphis, TN 38101.

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