Roy Mangum Phipps Jr.

Roy Mangum Phipps, Jr. died peacefully Friday, May 23, 2025, with his bride of nearly 57 years, Betty K. Phipps, by his side. The son of Roy Mangum Phipps and Eugenia Hardy Phipps of Rocky Mount, North Carolina, Roy was a 1966 graduate of Duke University and received his MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1968.

His lifelong passion for the game of golf – and the stories and relationships that went with it – was exceeded only by his fierce love for his family, his commitment to the people he worked with and the many friends he collected in his almost 81 years of life.

On the course, Roy displayed a patience and quiet humor, introducing “Captain’s Choice” to his grandsons (aka everyone hits, and we use Roy’s shot) and, in later life, playing in foursomes featuring, as his friends described them, “Roy’s Rules” – the 2 putt, the double mulligan and the “leaf” rule among them.

Off the course, he looked out for his people with an intensity and stubbornness that would have surprised those who only saw the golfer. He was famously known for embarrassing his teen daughters by walking up and down lines outside beach restaurants, introducing himself to everyone and taking polls on wait time. He later took pride in giving institutions of higher learning a piece of his mind when a few had the audacity to reject those same young women. He was activities chair for many a family trip and would let neither weather nor speeding tickets get in the way of a plan. Only Roy could replace the ferry you missed with a flight in a twin-engine plane or substitute a ranger-led private tour for the rained-out zoo trip the day before.

His ability to befriend many made him ideally suited for the 40-year career he enjoyed first at Burlington Industries and then at Highlands Industries/Takata as a credit manager, anticipating defaults but also recognizing when some leeway was warranted, treating everyone fairly. The friendships he and Betty K. made at their first house in Kirkwood, at Gourmet Club and in their 4-year stint in the Jersey-side suburbs of New York City endure to this day.

Roy was generous to a fault – stubbornly so, as anyone who went to dinner with him will tell you. He loved Red Hots and movies (even bad ones…usually bad ones?). He could regale you with stories of childhood summers with cousins on an Eastern North Carolina tobacco farm and the frog legs he served to Betty K. when introducing her to said farm. He had a weirdly encyclopedic knowledge of obscure nature facts. He collected jokes to tell at First Presbyterian’s “Young Men’s” Bible Class and ensured both coffee and donuts were ready to roll on Sunday mornings. He and Betty K. could do a mean Twist, but a stack full of ‘60s records playing more often meant he was knee deep in taxes. His complete and total lack of talent in the kitchen was more than made up for by the respect and pride he had in the brilliance of his wife.

Roy is survived by his wife, Elizabeth (Betty K.) Hooker Phipps, his daughters Carolyn Phipps Meade (Chris) and Eugenia (Geni) Phipps Cowles (Cory); and his grandchildren Jackson Maguire Meade, Cavan Mangum Meade and Grace Ann Cowles. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Eugene (Gene) Hardy Phipps of Charlotte, North Carolina.

Roy’s family would like to thank Wellspring Solutions for their care over the last two years and in particular, Ms. Connie Moore, who cared not only for Roy but also for Betty K. and welcomed the entire family on every visit.

A memorial service will be held Tuesday, June 3 at 2 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 617 North Elm Street, Greensboro, NC 27401. In lieu of flowers, the Phipps Family requests donations be made to First Presbyterian Church in Roy’s memory, using this link or via check to the FPC Finance Office at the address listed above.