Herbert Phinney, affectionately known as PaPa, passed away quietly in his home surrounded by family members on Friday, June 13th at 11:30PM at ninety-six years of age. He is preceded in death by his beloved wife, Mary Joyce Phinney (2017), and his daughter, Patti Larson (2022). He is survived by his daughters Carol Bone, Debbie Powell, and Donna Iden, along with many cherished grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren. Herbert Phinney was the beloved patriarch of a large, extensive family that, although saddened by their loss, is happy to have benefited from his love and support over many years.
Herbert Phinney was born in Portland, Maine, in 1929, and soon moved away after enlisting in the Army. In 1950, he met Mary Joyce McKoy in Columbia, South Carolina. They soon married and remained devoted to one another through sixty-seven years of happy marriage. Herbert’s role in the military took him and his family all over the world to such locations as Korea, Japan, and France in service to his country. Following his retirement from the Army, Herbert settled in Columbus, Georgia, with his family, where he owned a TV repair business and worked as a machine mechanic at Tom’s Food Company. He and his wife raised four daughters and dedicated their lives to the care and devotion of a large family. Herbert had a love of watching wrestling, teaching his grandchildren how to fish, and enjoyed woodworking in his basement shop. He always looked forward to trips to his home state of Maine, where he could enjoy eating a whole Maine lobster. Herbert’s boundless energy, even later in life, had a positive influence on all those around him. His legacy is in his eternal, infectious, upbeat personality and in the cherished memories of those closest to him as a devoted husband and father, a supportive grandfather, and a caring friend.
A visitation for family and friends will be held on followed by a visitation from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM at at Striffler-Hamby Mortuary, Fisher Chapel, 4071 Macon Road, Columbus, GA 31907. A celebration of life for Herbert will be held Thursday, June 19, 2025 at 10:00AM at Striffler-Hamby Mortuary, Fisher Chapel 4071 Macon Road, Columbus, GA 31907. Herbert will be laid to rest at Parkhill Cemetery, 4161 Macon Rd, Columbus, GA 31907.
Jarrod Molnar, Chad Iden, Adam Terrell, Jason Tate, Ty Gow, Noah Goodman, and John Larson will serve as pallbearers.
