Obituary of Betty J. Phillips

Betty J. Phillips, age 69 passed away on Sunday, October 16, 2011 in Plano, TX. She was born on January 1, 1942 in Omaha, TX, the daughter of Charles and Ella Callaway Powell. Betty was raised in the Idabel area until moving to Texas, where she lived in Mesquite, Jefferson and for the last 14 years Princeton, TX. Betty was a homemaker and enjoyed taking care of her family. She and her husband Eddie Joe Phillips owned and operated a catering business in the 1960’s. Betty was very adventurous and in the 1970’s worked as a welder for Gardener-Denver Industries. Betty later drove a truck and forklift for Marazzi Tile Company. She suffered the first of several strokes at the age of 42 but Betty was a very strong willed lady. She never allowed her illness to dictate her life and continued to enjoy and live life to the fullest. Betty was a member of the Seven Day Adventist Church and the Eastern Star. She was an avid sports fan and enjoyed bird watching, word search puzzles and traveling. When she was younger she was quite the outdoors person and loved to hunt, fish and was an accomplished marksman. Betty loved spending time with her grandkids and her great-granddaughters. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Eddie Joe Phillips in 1995; a granddaughter, Kristina Kay Gatlin; brothers, Charles Kenneth Powell, Jackie Eugene Powell and Gary Wayne Powell. Betty leaves to cherish her memory her daughters, Rebecca Newton of Princeton, TX, Terri Joe Phillips of Terrell, TX and Sheryl Hoffpauir of Rowlett, TX; grandchildren, Kimberly Newton of Princeton, TX, Dakota Newton of Princeton, TX and Jeffery Gatlin of Terrell, TX, Joseph Craig Hoffpauir of Irving TX and another granddaughter soon to be born in December; great-grandchildren, Brooklyn Newton of Princeton, TX and Gisele Gutierrez of Denton County, TX; sisters, Marie Snow of Mesquite, TX, Ella Mae Phillips of Kemp, TX, Trudy Seats of Lubbock, TX, Kay Varner of Brownwood, TX, Cindy Powell of Bowling Green, KY, Eugina Blair of Arlington, TX and Loletta Carter of Ft. Worth, TX; several nieces, nephews, other relatives and a host of friends. Services will be at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, October 22, 2011 at the White Family Chapel in Idabel, OK. Interment will follow in the Tom Cemetery in Tom, OK. A visitation will be held from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Friday, October 21, 2011 at the funeral home.