Joseph Nelson Phillips Jr.

Joe was a devoted husband to his wife, Jodi, and a loving father to Kayci, Jamie, Jacklyn, and Jack. He was preceded in death by his mother Roxanne and father Joe Sr, sister Wanda and his beloved daughter, Nikki, who held a very special place in his heart and whose memory remained with him always.

He was a proud and loving grandfather to Fiona, Joey, and Jaylen. Being their grandfather brought Joe tremendous joy, and the memories they made together were among those he treasured most.

Joe is also survived by his siblings, Peggy, Jack, Tammy, Neil, Evelyn and JoEllen as well as many extended family members and friends who loved him and will forever cherish his memory.

For the past 15 years, Joe worked as a truck driver, where he was affectionately known as “Yankee Joe.” Before taking to the road, he spent 28 years working as a bookbinder in New Jersey. Joe worked hard throughout his life, but a job was never what defined him. What mattered most to Joe were the people he loved. His family and friends meant everything to him, and spending time with them was where he was happiest.

Anyone who knew Joe will remember his loud, contagious laugh—the kind of laugh that could fill a room and have everyone laughing right along with him, whether they knew what was so funny or not.

And Joe could tell a story.

He always had one to tell, and there were plenty of them. Some were funny, some were probably told more than once, and all were made better simply because Joe was the one telling them. His humor, his stories, and his larger-than-life personality made him someone people were always happy to see and a person who was impossible to forget.

And if you knew Joe, chances are you heard his favorite greeting long before you saw him:

“YOOO!!”

It was unmistakably Joe—loud, cheerful, and full of personality. Just like the man himself.

Joe’s absence leaves an emptiness that cannot be filled, but he also leaves behind something far greater: a lifetime of stories, laughter, love, and memories. His voice will be remembered in the stories he told, his laugh in the laughter of those who loved him, and his presence in the countless memories his family and friends will carry with them.

He was deeply loved. He will be deeply missed. And he will never, ever be forgotten.

Arrangements will be handled by Dunbar Funeral Home, Devine Street, in Columbia, SC. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.

See!!