Ninety-three years, six months, two weeks, and one day. This is the length of time our husband, father, brother-in-law, uncle, cousin, granddad, great-granddad, co-worker, and our nation’s highly decorated soldier lived. We will miss him dearly.
Charles Leonard Phillips or “Doc,” as those close to him knew him was born on March 24, 1923, and died October 9, 2016. He grew up in Hurlock, Md., where he was president of his high school class before enlisting in the US Marine Corps and joining the Pacific Theater during WWII. Like his fellow soldiers at Pearl Harbor, his unit on Midway was attacked on December 7, 1941. Once the war ended, he accepted a commission in the U.S. Army where he served until 1974 when he retired as Colonel Charles L. Phillips having fought in two additional wars: Korea and Vietnam. Once retired from the military, Doc moved with his family to Chattanooga, Tn., where he taught at Chattanooga State Community College, worked at TVA, and finally was director of Army Instruction for Hamilton County Schools before fully retiring. He earned a Bachelor of Arts at Cornell University and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration at George Washington University.
He married Janet (Praeger) Phillips on April 8, 1949, whom he adored until the day he left this earth. She survives as well as their six children and their spouses: Rebecca Phillips Abbott and Carl Whitman, Lorraine and Daniel Goering, Charles R. and Yuliya Phillips, Thomas and Martha Phillips, Diana Phillips and Bobby Burns, and Ruth Anne Phillips. Additional survivors include 12 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. He will be remembered as a devoted husband and father with a good sense of humor as well as an honest, upright, and fair leader and man.
Visit www.heritagechattanooga.com to share words of comfort to the family and view the memorial tribute.
The family will receive friends from 5-7 pm, Thursday, Oct. 20, at Heritage Funeral Home, 7454 East Brainerd Road, Chattanooga, TN 37421.