Obituary of Ray Phillips

Ray Phillips October 12, 1922 - October 26, 2013 Funeral services for Ray Phillips, 91, of Lovington, NM will be held on Thursday, October 31, 2013, at 2:00 pm at First United Methodist Church with David Weyant officiating. Burial will follow at Lovington Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Kirby-Smith-Rogers Funeral Home. Ray was born on October 12, 1922, on a crisp fall day, to Ray and May (Wilson) Phillips in Whitesboro, Texas, and passed away on October 26, 2013, in Lovington. He grew up on an eighty-acre farm about three miles from Whitesboro with one brother and two sisters. His early education was in a two-room country school which he attended through the seventh grade and then enrolled in eighth grade at Whitesboro High School from which he graduated. He attended college for two years then moved to Washington D.C. and worked for the Department of Interior. He enlisted in the US Navy and served his Country well. After his service time he returned to North Texas College where he graduated. He moved to McCamey TX and worked for Humble Pipe Line and met Lafara, who worked for Humble Oil in Midland. They married on March 18, 1950, and lived in McCamey for a year, and then moved to Midland where he worked for Humble Oil. They later moved to Albuquerque where he worked with a company building a gas pipeline from the San Juan Basin to the West Coast. Their journey next took them to El Paso, where they lived for a year. He was then persuaded to move to Lovington by Lafara’s mother. He worked for Campbell Grain and Milling and Kershaw’s K-Bar. Ray has had a versatile career with many interesting stages along the way. Since retirement he has enjoyed being Gary’s part-time helper on the farm, volunteering at the Lea County Museum, assisting at the Lea Theater, serving on several committees at the Methodist Church and even helping fry hundreds of apricot pies for the “Ladies” Bazaar. He was preceded in death by his parents, one son, Richard Alan Phillips, and two sisters, Ruth Phillips and Doris Sutton and one brother, Leon Phillips. He is survived by his wife of the home, a son, Gary Phillips of Lovington, a daughter, LaRae and husband David Ellison of Lovington, and a sister, Lena Christopher, of Collinsville, TX. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, October 30th from 11:00 am until 8:00 pm at the funeral home with family present from 6:00 pm until 7:00 pm. Donations may be made in Ray’s memory to First United Methodist Church, PO Box 747, Lovington, NM 88260.