Virginia Imogene Phillips Clifton

Virginia Imogene Phillips Clifton, 101, of Altoona, Alabama, passed away on July 29, 2025. She was preceded in death by her best friend of 91 years and husband of 75 years, Edward Worthy Clifton, her son, Edward Brent Clifton, her son-in-law Charlie Cone, and her great-grandson Jack Edward Sligh. She is survived by her daughters: Dawn Cone and Rhonda Rogers (Tony); her five grandchildren: Dr. Allison Cone Sligh (Chip), Rev. Christopher Cone, Dr. Angela Clifton (Kyle McCann), Joshua Rogers (Jenna), and Melody Rogers Hopper (Dan); and finally her great-grandchildren: Luke Sligh, Abbie Cone Olvey (Harley), Sage McCann, Clancy Cone, Wyatt Sligh, Landon McCann, Logan McCann, Callie Sligh, Joanna Hopper, Jessa Rogers, Audra Hopper, Levi Hopper, and Noah Hopper. Special thanks to her friend and caregiver Teresa Greer, physical therapist Casey and Hospice nurse Joylene.

Born to Rex Landrum Phillips and Verna Self Phillips on May 19, 1924, she was one of three children. She graduated from Altoona High School in 1942 and married her high school sweetheart, Edward Clifton, on December 29, 1945—just after he returned home from World War II. Her grandchildren have been tasked with the honor of remembering Grandmother, our all-time favorite person. There are five of us, and we all have stories to share—there are probably so many stories because she was always ready for anything, maybe because she never knew what Grandaddy would come up with next.

Over her 101 years, she lived a life full of grace, grit, and good humor. There’s no way to capture it all in a few tidy paragraphs—especially for someone who raised Brent Clifton (if you know, you know). She was a devoted wife, a loving mother, and undeniably the best Miss Altoona there ever was—but we believe her greatest role was being our grandmother. She somehow made each of us feel undeservedly special, and at one point or another, we each decided she was our very best friend. She was just as unforgettable as a great-grandmother—our kids adored her.

The stories we want to tell here could fill a book, but we’ll be sharing them all this Saturday and beyond. We’ll talk about her deep love for God, her devotion to her church, her domination of the Scrabble board, her fierce loyalty to her favorite sports teams (Go Braves!), her endless list making, her signature meals (somehow always perfect, despite her resistance to recipes or measurements), and the show-stopping extravaganza she pulled off every single Christmas morning.

These stories point back to the things we remember best: she was unwaveringly loving, patient, kind, whimsical, and quietly brilliant. We miss her deeply, but we celebrate a life well lived and well loved. We are grateful for our stories that we’ll continue to share—but mostly, we are forever thankful that she was ours. She will keep showing up in our words, our quirks, our casseroles, our kindness—and especially in the way we love our people, just like she loved us.

We will celebrate her life and invite you to join us on Saturday, August 2, 2 p.m. at Altoona First United Methodist Church. Visitation will begin at the church at 1 p.m. The service will be led by Rev. Christopher Cone and Rev. Joey Smith. Pall bearers: Joshua Rogers, Chip Sligh, Kyle McCann, Dan Hopper, Luke Sligh, Wyatt Sligh, Landon McCann, Logan McCann, and Harley Olvey. Honorary pall bearers: Levi Hopper and Noah Hopper. Graveside interment: Altoona Walnut Grove.