John David Philleo

John David Philleo, age 48, of Knoxville, passed away suddenly on December 19, 2015, in Port St. Lucie, Florida. He was a graduate of Bearden High School and the University of Tennessee College of Communications, School of Journalism. He is preceded in death by his mother, Iris Hampstead Philleo; brother, Emerson Hampstead, Jr.; and sister, Diane Hampstead Carlini. Survived by his father and stepmother, Robert and Linda Philleo, of Port St. Lucie, FL; his siblings, Janet Pack (Tom), Paul Hampstead, Bob Hampstead (Debbie), Mike Hampstead, Gay Tipton (Mike), Laura Van Gelder (David), and Mary Sweeney (Jeff): many nieces and nephews. Since early childhood John had a fun loving and creative personality, always finding ways to make people smile. As a young man, John worked at several restaurants around Knoxville; however, the majority of his career was spent as a gifted editor and graphic designer with several publications; most recently the Shelbyville (Tenn.) Times Gazette. As his professional life progressed, so did his faith. This led John to shift his energy to non-profit organizations, most notably as Director of Development at Feed America First in Murfreesboro, TN, and Teen Challenge in Vero Beach, FL. Sharing his faith in Christ with others was his mission in his professional and personal life. He enjoyed hiking, was an avid music lover and aspiring guitarist, and a voracious reader. The family would like to thank all John’s friends who were there for him during life’s trials, tribulations and triumphs. In particular, we would like to thank Whitney Danhof for her constant support over the last several years. The family will receive friends from 3-5 pm on Saturday, January 2nd at Berry Highland West, with a memorial service celebrating John’s life to follow at 5:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Teen Challenge of Chattanooga, 1108 W. 33rd St., Chattanooga, TN 37410. The family would like to invite you to share stories and favorite memories of John at www.berryhighlandwest.com.