Martha Taylor Dean Phillips, 99, formerly of Tuscumbia, passed into eternal life on July 26, 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee, surrounded by friends and family.
Visitation will be held at Morrison’s Funeral Home in Tuscumbia tomorrow, August 1, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. A service and celebration of her life and homegoing will also take place at Morrison’s Funeral Home on Wednesday, August 2 at 10 a.m. with burial immediately following at Oakwood Cemetery in Tuscumbia.
Martha was born and raised in Blount County, Alabama to parents, Walter and May Stephens Dean on November 24, 1917. She shared many adventures of pre-Depression era rural life with her parents, two older brothers, and many childhood friends in the Blount Springs and Bangor communities. These novel-worthy adventures were the springboard for many stories she shared with multiple generations of children and adults throughout her life.
After graduating from Alabama College in 1937, Martha embarked on a long career as an elementary, junior high, and high school teacher in several communities in Alabama. She accepted a teaching position at Deshler High School in the early 1940’s, the beginning of a near 35-year career with the Tuscumbia City Schools. In 1988, Martha relocated to Nashville, Tennessee to be nearer family in the latter portion of her life.
Martha will forever be remembered as a loving wife and mother, a spunky and fun-loving grandmother, a talented writer and storyteller, and a beloved teacher and friend.
Martha is preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Lloyd “Pug” Phillips; brothers, Theo Dean and Burson Dean; and sister-in-law, Maizie Phillips.
She is survived by her son, Joe (Gloria) Phillips of Lynchburg, Virginia; and daughter, Martha (Kenneth) Ballew of Nashville, Tennessee. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Claire Ballew of Charlotte, North Carolina; Anne (Mike) Friedland of Nashville, Tennessee; Amanda (Joe) Allotta of New Port Richey, Florida; Emily (David) Pinkham of Roanoke, Virginia, MSG Andrew (Lisa) Phillips of New Jersey, and Ben Phillips of Lynchburg, Virginia. She is also survived by eleven great-grandchildren, Alexis, Carolyn, Aiden, and Maxwell Phillips; Sicily, Venice and Roman Allotta; and Lily, Olive, Willow and Eden Pinkham.
Pallbearers include Ben Phillips, Jim Clark, Sid Dobbs, Judson Emens, Wendell Fleming, Steve Gamble, Gary Harland, and Mackie Hovater. Honorary pallbearers are MSG Andrew Phillips, Joe Allotta, and David Pinkham.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Vanderbilt Center for Quality Aging at VUMC Gift and Donor Services 2525 West End Avenue Suite 450, Nashville TN 37203 or to the Tuscumbia Education Foundation, Inc. 303 North Commons East,Tuscumbia AL 35674. Online donations accepted.
Condolences may be left in Martha’s online guestbook at morrisonfuneralhomes.com.
The family wishes to extend their gratitude to the staff of Belmont Village Green Hills Senior Living for love and care over the past year and to Kindred Hospice Services during her recent illness.
“Wherever a beautiful soul has been, there is a trail of beautiful memories.”—R. Reagan
