Willard Arvon Phillips, 79, a longtime Parsons resident, died at 4:50 p.m. Tuesday, July 16, 2013, at his home. He had been in failing health.
He was born on July 11, 1934, at Bartlett to Homer R. and Marchie (Peyton) Phillips. He grew up on the family farm in rural Labette County and attended country schools and graduated from Labette County Community High School in 1952.
He attended Parsons Junior College from 1952 to 1954. He attended Kansas State Teachers College of Pittsburg (Pittsburg State University) from 1955 to 1956. He then attended Washburn University in Topeka from 1961 to 1963. While attending college in Parsons and Topeka, he worked as a recreation therapist the Parsons State Hospital and Training Center and Kansas Neurological Institute in Topeka. He also worked as a community center director while in Topeka. He served in the U.S. Army from 1957 to 1960.
He married Bernice Andrews on Feb. 27, 1955, at Valeda. She survives of the home.
He moved to Parsons in 1964 and worked at the Parsons Recreation Center as the director until 1967, when he moved to Cape Girardeau, Mo., and worked as the recreation director there for a year. He returned to Parsons and resumed his position as the Parsons Recreation Center director for many years until a spinal cord injury forced his retirement in 1994. The injuries he sustained caused him to be a quadriplegic, however, he never let the lack of his ability to move affect his spirit and attitude.
He was inducted into the Kansas Recreation and Parks Hall of Fame and the Parsons Recreation Center was named the Arvon Phillips Community Center in his honor. He also was the 2007 Labette Community College Cardinal Citation recipient. He served on several boards, including the Kansas Recreation and Parks Board, where he served as an executive board member, the Parsons Tree Board and the Lake Parsons Board. He also served as a Kansas hunters safety instructor. He was a member of Wesley United Methodist Church.
Other survivors include two sons, Scott Phillips, and his wife, Susan, of Mulvane and Tracy Phillips, and his wife, Marie, of Parsons; five grandchildren, Shawn Fowler of Joplin, Lora Kelley of Monroe, La., Jennifer Phillips, Joshua Phillips, both of Wichita, and Jessica Phillips of Parsons; five great-grandchildren, Deante Kelley, Ta-Lynn Phillips, Donovyn Fowler, Keandra Kelley and Elijah Kelley; five brothers, Ronald Phillips, and his wife, Elsie, of Butler, Mo., H.R. Phillips and his wife, Neva, of Fort Collins, Colo., Verlyn Phillips and his wife, Carol, of Kansas City, Kan., Albert Phillips and his wife, Jan, of Webster Groves, Mo., Terry Phillips and his wife, Kae, of Parsons; numerous nieces and nephews; numerous great-nieces and nephews; a sister, Zelia Davis and her husband, Bill, of Wichita; and his sister-in-law, Mary Belle Phillips of Parsons.
He was preceded in death by two brothers, Robert Phillips and Lyle Phillips; and two sisters, Wilma Welden and Rosalea Keaton.
The family will conduct a celebration of life service at 2 p.m. July 27 at Wesley United Methodist Church. The family will receive friends at the church following the service.
Memorials are suggested to the church and may be left at or mailed to Carson-Wall Funeral Home, 112 N. 26th St., P.O. Box 942, Parsons, 67357.
Online condolences may be left at www.wallfuneralservices.com.
He was born on July 11, 1934, at Bartlett to Homer R. and Marchie (Peyton) Phillips. He grew up on the family farm in rural Labette County and attended country schools and graduated from Labette County Community High School in 1952.
He attended Parsons Junior College from 1952 to 1954. He attended Kansas State Teachers College of Pittsburg (Pittsburg State University) from 1955 to 1956. He then attended Washburn University in Topeka from 1961 to 1963. While attending college in Parsons and Topeka, he worked as a recreation therapist the Parsons State Hospital and Training Center and Kansas Neurological Institute in Topeka. He also worked as a community center director while in Topeka. He served in the U.S. Army from 1957 to 1960.
He married Bernice Andrews on Feb. 27, 1955, at Valeda. She survives of the home.
He moved to Parsons in 1964 and worked at the Parsons Recreation Center as the director until 1967, when he moved to Cape Girardeau, Mo., and worked as the recreation director there for a year. He returned to Parsons and resumed his position as the Parsons Recreation Center director for many years until a spinal cord injury forced his retirement in 1994. The injuries he sustained caused him to be a quadriplegic, however, he never let the lack of his ability to move affect his spirit and attitude.
He was inducted into the Kansas Recreation and Parks Hall of Fame and the Parsons Recreation Center was named the Arvon Phillips Community Center in his honor. He also was the 2007 Labette Community College Cardinal Citation recipient. He served on several boards, including the Kansas Recreation and Parks Board, where he served as an executive board member, the Parsons Tree Board and the Lake Parsons Board. He also served as a Kansas hunters safety instructor. He was a member of Wesley United Methodist Church.
Other survivors include two sons, Scott Phillips, and his wife, Susan, of Mulvane and Tracy Phillips, and his wife, Marie, of Parsons; five grandchildren, Shawn Fowler of Joplin, Lora Kelley of Monroe, La., Jennifer Phillips, Joshua Phillips, both of Wichita, and Jessica Phillips of Parsons; five great-grandchildren, Deante Kelley, Ta-Lynn Phillips, Donovyn Fowler, Keandra Kelley and Elijah Kelley; five brothers, Ronald Phillips, and his wife, Elsie, of Butler, Mo., H.R. Phillips and his wife, Neva, of Fort Collins, Colo., Verlyn Phillips and his wife, Carol, of Kansas City, Kan., Albert Phillips and his wife, Jan, of Webster Groves, Mo., Terry Phillips and his wife, Kae, of Parsons; numerous nieces and nephews; numerous great-nieces and nephews; a sister, Zelia Davis and her husband, Bill, of Wichita; and his sister-in-law, Mary Belle Phillips of Parsons.
He was preceded in death by two brothers, Robert Phillips and Lyle Phillips; and two sisters, Wilma Welden and Rosalea Keaton.
The family will conduct a celebration of life service at 2 p.m. July 27 at Wesley United Methodist Church. The family will receive friends at the church following the service.
Memorials are suggested to the church and may be left at or mailed to Carson-Wall Funeral Home, 112 N. 26th St., P.O. Box 942, Parsons, 67357.
Online condolences may be left at www.wallfuneralservices.com.
Willard Arvon Phillips, 79, a longtime Parsons resident, died at 4:50 p.m. Tuesday, July 16, 2013, at his home. He had been in failing health.
He was born on July 11, 1934, at Bartlett to Homer R. and Marchie (Peyton) Phillips. He grew up on the family farm in rural Labette County and attended country schools and graduated from Labette County Community High School in 1952.
He attended Parsons Junior College from 1952 to 1954. He attended Kansas State Teachers College of Pittsburg (Pittsburg State University) from 1955 to 1956. He then attended Washburn University in Topeka from 1961 to 1963. While attending college in Parsons and Topeka, he worked as a recreation therapist the Parsons State Hospital and Training Center and Kansas Neurological Institute in Topeka. He also worked as a community center director while in Topeka. He served in the U.S. Army from 1957 to 1960.
He married Bernice Andrews on Feb. 27, 1955, at Valeda. She survives of the home.
He moved to Parsons in 1964 and worked at the Parsons Recreation Center as the director until 1967, when he moved to Cape Girardeau, Mo., and worked as the recreation director there for a year. He returned to Parsons and resumed his position as the Parsons Recreation Center director for many years until a spinal cord injury forced his retirement in 1994. The injuries he sustained caused him to be a quadriplegic, however, he never let the lack of his ability to move affect his spirit and attitude.
He was inducted into the Kansas Recreation and Parks Hall of Fame and the Parsons Recreation Center was named the Arvon Phillips Community Center in his honor. He also was the 2007 Labette Community College Cardinal Citation recipient. He served on several boards, including the Kansas Recreation and Parks Board, where he served as an executive board member, the Parsons Tree Board and the Lake Parsons Board. He also served as a Kansas hunters safety instructor. He was a member of Wesley United Methodist Church.
Other survivors include two sons, Scott Phillips, and his wife, Susan, of Mulvane and Tracy Phillips, and his wife, Marie, of Parsons; five grandchildren, Shawn Fowler of Joplin, Lora Kelley of Monroe, La., Jennifer Phillips, Joshua Phillips, both of Wichita, and Jessica Phillips of Parsons; five great-grandchildren, Deante Kelley, Ta-Lynn Phillips, Donovyn Fowler, Keandra Kelley and Elijah Kelley; five brothers, Ronald Phillips, and his wife, Elsie, of Butler, Mo., H.R. Phillips and his wife, Neva, of Fort Collins, Colo., Verlyn Phillips and his wife, Carol, of Kansas City, Kan., Albert Phillips and his wife, Jan, of Webster Groves, Mo., Terry Phillips and his wife, Kae, of Parsons; numerous nieces and nephews; numerous great-nieces and nephews; a sister, Zelia Davis and her husband, Bill, of Wichita; and his sister-in-law, Mary Belle Phillips of Parsons.
He was preceded in death by two brothers, Robert Phillips and Lyle Phillips; and two sisters, Wilma Welden and Rosalea Keaton.
The family will conduct a celebration of life service at 2 p.m. July 27 at Wesley United Methodist Church. The family will receive friends at the church following the service.
Memorials are suggested to the church and may be left at or mailed to Carson-Wall Funeral Home, 112 N. 26th St., P.O. Box 942, Parsons, 67357.
Online condolences may be left at www.wallfuneralservices.com.
He was born on July 11, 1934, at Bartlett to Homer R. and Marchie (Peyton) Phillips. He grew up on the family farm in rural Labette County and attended country schools and graduated from Labette County Community High School in 1952.
He attended Parsons Junior College from 1952 to 1954. He attended Kansas State Teachers College of Pittsburg (Pittsburg State University) from 1955 to 1956. He then attended Washburn University in Topeka from 1961 to 1963. While attending college in Parsons and Topeka, he worked as a recreation therapist the Parsons State Hospital and Training Center and Kansas Neurological Institute in Topeka. He also worked as a community center director while in Topeka. He served in the U.S. Army from 1957 to 1960.
He married Bernice Andrews on Feb. 27, 1955, at Valeda. She survives of the home.
He moved to Parsons in 1964 and worked at the Parsons Recreation Center as the director until 1967, when he moved to Cape Girardeau, Mo., and worked as the recreation director there for a year. He returned to Parsons and resumed his position as the Parsons Recreation Center director for many years until a spinal cord injury forced his retirement in 1994. The injuries he sustained caused him to be a quadriplegic, however, he never let the lack of his ability to move affect his spirit and attitude.
He was inducted into the Kansas Recreation and Parks Hall of Fame and the Parsons Recreation Center was named the Arvon Phillips Community Center in his honor. He also was the 2007 Labette Community College Cardinal Citation recipient. He served on several boards, including the Kansas Recreation and Parks Board, where he served as an executive board member, the Parsons Tree Board and the Lake Parsons Board. He also served as a Kansas hunters safety instructor. He was a member of Wesley United Methodist Church.
Other survivors include two sons, Scott Phillips, and his wife, Susan, of Mulvane and Tracy Phillips, and his wife, Marie, of Parsons; five grandchildren, Shawn Fowler of Joplin, Lora Kelley of Monroe, La., Jennifer Phillips, Joshua Phillips, both of Wichita, and Jessica Phillips of Parsons; five great-grandchildren, Deante Kelley, Ta-Lynn Phillips, Donovyn Fowler, Keandra Kelley and Elijah Kelley; five brothers, Ronald Phillips, and his wife, Elsie, of Butler, Mo., H.R. Phillips and his wife, Neva, of Fort Collins, Colo., Verlyn Phillips and his wife, Carol, of Kansas City, Kan., Albert Phillips and his wife, Jan, of Webster Groves, Mo., Terry Phillips and his wife, Kae, of Parsons; numerous nieces and nephews; numerous great-nieces and nephews; a sister, Zelia Davis and her husband, Bill, of Wichita; and his sister-in-law, Mary Belle Phillips of Parsons.
He was preceded in death by two brothers, Robert Phillips and Lyle Phillips; and two sisters, Wilma Welden and Rosalea Keaton.
The family will conduct a celebration of life service at 2 p.m. July 27 at Wesley United Methodist Church. The family will receive friends at the church following the service.
Memorials are suggested to the church and may be left at or mailed to Carson-Wall Funeral Home, 112 N. 26th St., P.O. Box 942, Parsons, 67357.
Online condolences may be left at www.wallfuneralservices.com.
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