Frank "Phil" Philip Roberson Sr.

Frank Philip “Phil” Roberson, Sr. passed quietly away on January 19, 2024, in the warm and compassionate care of his family and the doctor, nurses, and staff of Life Care Center of Old Hickory Village. He had previously been a patient at Centennial Hospital in Nashville, TN, where he entertained all he met there with his endless supply of jokes.

Philip’s Celebration of Life service will be held on Friday, January 26, 2024, at First Church of the Nazarene, 510 Woodland Street, Nashville, TN 37206. Visitation will begin at 11:00AM with the service at 1:00PM. Burial will be at 3:00PM at the Forest Lawn Funeral Home & Memorial Gardens, 1150 Dickerson Rd, Nashville, TN 37072

Philip is survived by his wife of 63 years, Jimmie N. Roberson; his son, Frank Philip Roberson, Jr. (Jeanie); grandchildren: Kathryn Roberson; Kelley Roberson; Christopher Frank Roberson (Mayci); his daughter, Kimberly Joy Roberson Caldwell (Jimmy); grandchildren: Kristen Caldwell Hayes (Matthew), Jordan Caldwell, Jackson Caldwell (Katelyn Patterson Caldwell). Great grandchildren: Aurora Lee Roberson, Bo Alan Hayes, Palmer Nell Hayes, and Baby J Caldwell soon to be born February 17, 2024.

He is preceded in death by his father, William Herbert Roberson; mother, Adell Roberson; brother, Donald Roberson; son, David Michael Roberson; and granddaughter, Kelley Danielle Roberson.

Mr. Roberson was employed as a rural carrier of the United States Post Office.

Philip was active in the Victory Sunday School Class at First Church of the Nazarene in Nashville, where he led the class in worship and singing until his health prevented him from doing so. He played softball for many years, and was an avid basketball player. He competed well into his sixties, participating in the Senior Olympics of Tennessee, where he won a Free Throw Shooting medal for his age group.

His love for the Bible and the hymns of faith was evident to everyone who spent much time with him. At 14 years of age, Philip began leading the singing at church, and subsequently enjoyed a lifetime of directing choirs and church musicals (“contatas”). He led Mississippi youth Impact Teams and choir trips and engaged in lots of impromptu singing with the family. He knew the hymnal backwards and forwards, which provided him with the ability to move in and out of songs, creating medleys “on the fly.”

Philip’s memory of dates and events and people, along with his ability to tell jokes and stories, was extraordinary. He had the ability to memorize and quote long passages of Scripture, working on Ephesians even in his last weeks of being in the hospital. His infectious interest in the people in his sphere made people comfortable being around him.

He enjoyed fishing and cutting the grass with his “Bad Boy” lawn mower. But, most of all, he enjoyed getting together with his family to watch his beloved Alabama win football games. Of course, food was always involved in every conversation we had, even during the meal we were actually eating. And, he could tell you the first time he ate a Frito and a Little Debbie Oatmeal Crème pie, among others.

To say he was the life of the party was an understatement. He never met a stranger. Can you imagine what heaven is like, now that he’s there?

The service will be live-streamed at the following location: https://nfcn.org/watch/. You will able to view the service later by archive, as well.