Phoebe Jackson Corder

Phoebe Jackson Corder, 78, passed away peacefully on August 26, 2025, in Collierville, Tennessee, after a long illness. She was born on June 19, 1947, in Grenada, Mississippi, to a loving family and community that shaped the foundation of her life.

Phoebe graduated from Grenada High School and attended Delta State University, where she began building lifelong friendships and memories. On July 11, 1965, she married her high school sweetheart, Jerry Corder, and together they built a life rooted in love, faith, and family.

The couple eventually moved to Memphis, Tennessee, following Jerry’s career with Holiday Inns, Inc. Later, in 1988, Phoebe and Jerry founded a successful hospitality company, designing and furnishing hotels until their retirement in 2019. In retirement, Phoebe especially enjoyed the fellowship and support of her beloved community at The Farms at Bailey Station.

A devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Phoebe’s greatest joy came from her family. She was the proud mother of two daughters, Lisa Marie Harris (Matthew) and Beverly Shelley Pearson (Clint). She adored her six grandchildren—Stephen and Michael Harris, Palmer and Emme Shelley, and Lana and Andrew Pearson—and treasured her great-grandchildren, Owen, Ella Grace, Briggs, Eira, and Ani.

Phoebe lived her life with deep faith and commitment. She was a longtime member of Germantown Baptist Church, and her friendships and fellowship there enriched her life. She also cherished her time at Pickwick Lake and her dear circle of friends, including the Finchettes of Grenada.

Phoebe was known for her grace, warmth, and sense of style. She always looked her best—elegant, polished, and a little fancy—reflecting the care and joy she brought into every part of her life. Her daughters often joked that they did not inherit their mother’s “fancy gene,” but admired the beauty and confidence she carried so naturally.

She was preceded in death by her parents, John Sidney and Kathryn Jackson of Grenada, and her siblings, Larry Sheffield, Bobbye Kaye Shields, and Sydney Gail Jackson and her dear son-in-law J.P. Shelley.

She will be remembered for her devotion to family, her strong faith, and the beauty she brought into the lives of those who loved her.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by Collierville Funeral Home. Services will be held at Germantown Baptist Church on September 2, 2025, with visitation beginning at 10:30AM and the service following at 12PM. Burial will take place at Memorial Park in Memphis with a reception to follow at Germantown Baptist Church.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Germantown Baptist Church, Mosaic Memphis Ministries or Brinkley Heights Ministries.

Proverbs 31:25–28, 30–31

"She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her… Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate."