David Jay Phillips

Known to his family and friends as Dave, he was born to Joseph William “Jay” Phillips and Dorothy Marie Copeland Phillips in Lee’s Summit Missouri on August 31, 1954. Dave graduated from Lee’s Summit High School where he wrestled, played football, and was a member of the choir. In the community, he was active as a Boy Scout and a lifeguard. It was as lifeguard that he met the petite daughter of an Air Force officer named Kathy Coggins who would become his wife and best friend for 49 years.

Following his graduation from the University of Central Missouri, Dave and Kathy embarked on their life together. He worked at the Williams Companies in Tulsa, Oklahoma for twenty years before moving to Katy in 2006 to take a job with British Petroleum until his retirement in 2015.

Dave was a passionate hunter with a love of sporting dogs, and spent many days in the field with his dogs. In recent years, Dave and Kathy devoted hours working with their therapy dogs at Memorial Hermann Hospital on I-10 in Katy.

He will be remembered for the making “the best turkey ever” at Thanksgiving, bringing beer balls to family reunion at the beach, lovingly teasing his nieces and nephews, never turning down the chance for breakfast at restaurants all over Katy, always being willing to help a neighbor, excelling at music trivia, and rooting for his Premier League soccer team, Manchester City.

Dave leaves Kathy Coggins Phillips, his wife; his brother by another mother, Gary Allan Phillips; his sister by another mother, Kay Wagner; his SILS (sisters-in-law) Denny, Patti, Shari, and Laurie; his BILS (brothers-in-law) Gary, Joel, Ty, and Todd, and a multitude of nieces and nephews and friends.

A celebration of Dave’s wonderful life will occur after the first of the year. In lieu of any flowers, donations in his honor to St. Jude’s Children’s Research hospital would be appreciated.