Cecil Clay Phillips

Cecil Clay Phillips, known to his friends as “Pete,” entered into heaven on March 8, 2020. Pete was born in Palmyra, Missouri on December 8, 1930 to Edna (Marksbury) and Hubert Casper Phillips. Pete and his family moved to Arizona when he was very young. They moved to the Valley where he attended school and graduated from Glendale High School. Pete soon joined the Army in August of 1951 and served his standard enlistment through 1953. He then transferred to the reserves in the Arizona Military District where he remained assigned until he completed eight years of service. While serving in the military, Pete was assigned to the infantry where he excelled as a paratrooper (which he was most proud of). He attended Quartermaster School, and his most significant duty assignment was being attached to DET #1 9141 Memphis Gen Department in Memphis, Tennessee. While there, Pete met and married his only true love, Mary Louise, and they relocated to Arizona. Mary had four small children when they met, and together they had three more children who were all raised together. In his civilian life, Pete was a construction superintendent, where he spent many years before he retired.

Pete loved going to the horse races. In his younger years he enjoyed fishing, camping and hunting. He liked watching sports on TV, and his favorite team was the St. Louis Cardinals. He was a lifelong fan of country and western music, especially the music of Marty Robbins, a former high school classmate.

He was preceded in death by his wife Mary Louise, his parents Hubert and Edna Phillips, and his siblings Max, Don, Jay, Mary and John.

A memorial service for Pete will be held at Macayo’s restaurant on Bell Road on Saturday March 14, 2020 at 11:00 am. The interment will be held on Monday March 16, 2020 at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona at 9:30 am.

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