Edward Jerald “Punk” Phillips, Sr. age 80 years, a resident of Parsons, WV departed this life Sunday afternoon, March 4, 2018 at his home. He had been in his usual health and death was attributed to cardiac arrest.
He was born Tuesday, March 30, 1937 at Parsons, WV, a son of the late Clay and Margaret Phillips. On May 29, 1959 at Oakland, MD, he was married to the former Sharon Vivian Poling, who survives. Sharon is the daughter of the late Roy and Rella Poling. They had celebrated fifty-eight years of marriage and she was the love of his life.
Also surviving are one son, Master Sgt. James Roy Phillips and wife Thelma of Robbins Air Force Base, Kathleen, Ga; one daughter, Cheryl Vivian Wratchford and husband Robert of Coco, Fla.; five grandchildren, Austin Wratchford, Corbin Wratchford, Joshua Edward Phillips, Jason Roy Phillips and James Evan Phillips; three nieces, Gloria Fox, Pam Bonner and Roberta Alderman; and three nephews, Butch Fox, Robbie Poling and David Poling
Preceding him in death are one son, Edward Jerald “Jerry” Phillips, Jr, who preceded him in death August 17, 2003; and one sister, Betty Jean Phillips Fox.
He was a graduate of Parsons High School with the class of 1956. He served in the United States Air Force. He worked for various construction companies. He was an employee of the former Dorman Mills until its closing, the former Parsons Tannery and the WV. Dept. of Highways, where he retired after twenty-six years. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church at Parsons for over sixty years, where he was a member of the administrative board and past member of the Trustees. He was a past member of the Parsons Volunteer Fire Dept. He coached little league baseball and took several championships. He loved sports and played basketball, softball and baseball in high school. He was a great fan of the WVU Mountaineers and the Pittsburgh Steelers. He enjoyed hunting and fishing, working with wood and working in his garden. He and his son Jerry enjoyed collecting old civil war and cocoa cola memorabilia. He also rode a Jet-Ski for the first time at age eighty, at his son’s Lakehouse in Georgia.
The family received friends at the Lohr & Barb Funeral Home of Parsons on Wednesday from 5 to 8 p.m. On Thursday morning, March 8, 2018, Mr. Phillips was moved to the First United Methodist Church at Parsons, WV, where friends called from 10 to 11 a.m. the funeral hour. The Reverend William R. Brown officiated, and interment followed at the Parsons City Cemetery at Parsons, WV. The Lohr & Barb Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements for Edward Jerald “Punk” Phillips, Sr. Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.lohrbarbfuneralhome.com
