William Scott Phillips
56, Columbia
Funeral services to celebrate the life of William Scott Phillips, 56, of Columbia, will be held at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017, at First Baptist Church Columbia Gymnasius.
He took flight to his heavenly home on Sunday, Oct. 29, while surrounded by his wife and children. Dr. Bryant Barnes will officiate at the services. Visitation will be held from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 1, and from 11 a.m. until the time of the services on Thursday, Nov. 2, at First Baptist Church Columbia Gymnasium.
He was born on June 29, 1961, in Hattiesburg. He graduated from Hattiesburg High School, the University of Mississippi, where he was a member of the Sigma Nu Fraternity, and also graduated from the Ole Miss School of Law. He moved to Columbia to start his law career and later opened Phillips Law Firm, P. A. He started in the ROTC program while attending Ole Miss and spent over 29 years in the Mississippi Army National Guard, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was a big supporter of the Ole Miss Rebels, a member of the Rotary Club, Marion County Bar Association, Columbia High School Wildcat Football Booster Club, and the Marion County Rebel Club. He was a long time member of First Baptist Church of Columbia, serving as a deacon, Sunday school department secretary and choir member. He also served as Marion County attorney from January 2008 until his death.
Scott was a loving son, brother, husband and father. He had his Hattiesburg friends, his Ole Miss friends, and his Columbia friends; and he was fiercely loyal to them all. He was the best friend that anyone could have. When traveling, Scott was known to go completely out of his way to drop in on a friend that he had not seen in a while. He was completely selfless and always put others before himself. He was known as the kind of friend that would drop everything in order to help a friend in need and will be deeply missed.
He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Dana Bryan Phillips; daughters, Marion Margaret Phillips of Jackson and Madison Elizabeth Phillips of Oxford; son, William Scott Phillips Jr. of Ridgeland; parents, Nellie and Forrest Charles Phillips of Hattiesburg; brothers, Forrest Charles Phillips Jr. (Pam) of Hattiesburg and Perry Wayne Phillips (Alana) of Hattiesburg; sister, Lee Phillips Lawrence (David) of Dallas, Texas, and several nieces and nephews.
Pallbearers will be Tommy Griffin, Ben Tullos, Robert Simmons, Sammy Bell, Richard Whitworth, Monte Manguno, Steve Floyd, Jeff Dungan, Doug McElroy, Baxter White, Steve Carmody, Bruce Walt, Robert Donnell and Jody Varner. Honorary pallbearers will be the Adult III Men’s Sunday School Class and the Marion County Bar Association.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to either the Building/Renovation Fund at First Baptist Church Columbia, MS or to the William Scott Phillips Memorial Scholarship Fund at the University of Mississippi. Contributions to the Building/Renovation Fund at First Baptist Church Columbia, MS can be mailed to 900 High School Avenue, Columbia, MS 39429. Contributions to the William Scott Phillips Memorial Scholarship Fund at the University of Mississippi should be made payable to University of Mississippi Foundation for the William Scott Phillips Memorial Scholarship Fund and mailed to the UM Foundation, 406 University Avenue, Oxford, MS 38655, or gifts can be made online at www.umfoundation.com/makeagift.
Family and friends may sign an online guest book at www.hathornfuneralhome.com.
Hathorn Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
