REVEREND DR. GEORGE C. PHILLIPS

The Reverend Dr. George Phillips of Mason, Ohio, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, on Sunday, December 22, 2024. 

He is preceded in death by his loving wife of 39 years, Deborah Jane (Holcombe) Phillips, parents, George and Jean Phillips, and brother Randon Phillips. 

George will be deeply missed by his surviving sister, Karen (Nevin) Seus of Bradenton, FL, his children, Katie Powell, Carrie (Drew) Powers, and Jensen Phillips who were fortunate to experience the depths of his unconditional love and encouragement. His children were a constant source of pride and strength. His precious grandchildren, Brenna, Liam, Natalie, and Ethan filled him with boundless joy and the deepest sense of gratitude for the years he was able to share with them. 

George was blessed to experience love twice in his life, and leaves behind his wife of 9 years, Patty, who enriched his life with a sense of adventure, happiness, and great comfort. Patty’s family embraced George and will remember his kindness, humor and warmth. 

Professionally, George answered his call to the ministry, serving the Lord as an itinerant pastor in the West Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church. During seminary, he served Greenville UMC under senior pastor George Holcombe. His first appointment was at Cairo UMC, followed by appointments at Ware’s Chapel, Bluffton, Archbold, Centerville, Anderson, and finally, Mason. In retirement, he was thrilled to be asked to serve Otterbein as Chaplain, the perfect closing to his career. Each congregation offered love and lessons, deep friendships and complex problems, and George was thankful for it all. 

Beyond his family and career, George divided his time between reading books and playing with trains. Not just any trains; the most intricate of model trains, N-scale. In recent years, he found a hobby shop which could 3-D print almost any building from any city. He painted each building in perfect detail along with people waiting on a platform or playing in a yard. He created the topography and tunnels to be just as he imagined. If he wasn’t playing with trains in the basement, he could be found reading in his other favorite place: a porch swing. This was a constant throughout the years, whether at the small Lancaster cottage or at his beautiful house on Lake Norris, he loved smoking his pipe and indulging himself by reading the latest book from John Meachum, Ron Chernow, or Shelby Foote. 

Jesus’ words to his disciples always resonated with him: “Do not think that you chose me. You did not. I chose you.” (John 15:16) Through many changes in life and health, he was a consummate disciple of Christ, always showing God’s love through his warmth, generosity, and sense of peace. 

A visitation will be held on Sunday, January 5th from 4-6 PM in the Wilson room at Otterbein Senior Life Community in Lebanon, Ohio. The funeral will be held in the Chapel at Otterbein on Monday, January 6th at 2:00 PM. 

In lieu of flowers, George requested that donations be made to the Otterbein Benevolent Fund in his honor.