Dateline: April 22, 2004

Phillips

Billy Mix Phillips, age 73, went to be with the Lord April 13, 2004, surrounded by family and friends. 

Services were held on Saturday, April 17, 2004, at 10:00 a.m. at the South Georgia Baptist Church in Amarillo with Rev. Bob Miller, minister of the church, officiating.  He was assisted by Rev. Jim Brown, minister of the Monterey Baptist Church in Lubbock. Graveside services were held at 2:00 p.m. at Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon under the direction of Schooler Funeral Home of Amarillo.

Mr. Phillips was born in White Deer on May 21, 1930.  He attended school sin White Face, Klondike, and graduated from Lelia Lake High School in 1948, where he was active in basketball and track.  He attended Clarendon College in 1950, where he was awarded a scholarship in boxing and basketball.  He married Margie Nell Crofford at Martin Baptist Church on June 21, 1950.  They spent 50 of their 53 plus years together in Amarillo.

He was employed with the United States Postal Service for 36 years as a carrier.  There he received a million mile safe driving award and recognition for superior service.  He was a member of the National Letter Carriers Association and sang in a quartet at the Texas State Letter Carriers Convention.  He sang with the Panhandle Singing Men before he became ill.  While employed with the Postal Service, Bill also served as a music minister, serving over fifty years of full-time and interim work in many Baptist Churches throughout the Texas panhandle, one being the First Baptist Church in Claude, where he served for 15 years. During that time, many musical programs were done by the choir.  He also served as Director of the Senior Adult Ministry for the Amarillo Baptist Association.  He received the honor of doing music at the Old Field Baptist Church in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina on the 200th year anniversary. Many of his ancestors were ordained to the ministry and were active in this church.  In 1952, Bill and his wife were instrumental in helping start a Baptist Mission in Burlington, Colorado, which is now the First Southern Baptist Church in Burlington.

He was preceded in death by his father, Rev. Ernest A. Phillips, in 1961; his mother, Maybelle Weddle Phillips, in 1968; a brother, Ralph Alfred, US Marines, in 1958; and a sister, Mayrene Hearn, in 1985.

Survivors include his wife, Margie; a daughter, Marla Gail Johnson of Oklahoma City, OK, and her husband, Tommy; a son, Bradley Mix Phillips, of Amarillo; a brother, Tommy Phillips and his wife Ruth; three grandsons, Michael Brett Shadix of Oklahoma City, Bradley Bates, and Justin Taylor Phillips of Amarillo; two step grandsons, Anthony and Stevie Johnson; five nephews; and four nieces.

The family requests memorials be sent to United We Build Fund for South Georgia Baptist Church in Amarillo.