Janet Ruth Philips

On September 16, 2023, our mother/grandmother/great grandmother, Janet Ruth Sweazy Philips (“Jan”) finished her earthly journey and transitioned into an eternity with Jesus. She was 93 years, 7 months old.

Jan was born in a Model T Ford on the way to the hospital in Los Angeles, California on February 28, 1930, to Fern (York) and Carl Sweazy. The youngest of four children, she joined sisters Manon and Adria and brother Donald. Growing up in the Los Angeles area, her parents were devout Baptists and served in full time ministry, frequently taking the family of six on the road to various tent and revival meetings across the United States. It was during this time that Jan honed her musical skills learning to play trumpet, vibraharp, and piano in their family gospel band. She also learned how to sew and developed her artistic skills.

In 1946, Jan’s sister introduced her to a Naval Aviation officer and pilot, Lt JG Ronald Wayne Philips, and following a multi-year courtship, they married in Los Angeles in June 1950. Jan and Ron both attended Pepperdine University, but in 1951 with their first child on his way, Jan quit school less than a year short of completing her degree. Between 1951 and 1958, they added Sheldon, Lisa, Scott, and Lindsay to the family. In 1955, after Ron completed medical school in Loma Linda, California, Jan and Ron moved to Portland, Oregon for his internship and residency in radiology. In 1959, they settled permanently in the Portland/Vancouver area.

In the 1950s and through the 1990s, Jan’s career moved from housewife and helpmeet to Ron, to interior designer, as she honed her exceptional skills in spatial relationships and math, to design and decorate homes, medical offices, and churches. She also put her extraordinary organizational skills to play in planning and coordinating church events and activities, participating in church music, in the Lake Oswego Derthick Music Club, gardening, antiquing, camping, boating, constant home improvement projects, cooking, dining out with their “Thursday Night Supper Club,” and playing of board games. She was especially proud of the six homes that she designed and decorated. In later life, travel was a significant interest of the couple, and Jan and Ron were able to visit nearly 100 countries, take over 25 cruises, and serve on 17 medical missionary trips around the world.

Jan was preceded in death by her husband of 73 years, Dr. Ronald Philips, her parents, siblings, and their spouses, and son-in-law Allan McDougall (Lisa Philips). Jan is survived by her four children including Sheldon W. Philips (wife Debbie), Lisa Philips, B. Scott Philips (wife Sherilyn), and Lindsay B. Philips (wife Vicky), 12 grandchildren, and 34 great grandchildren (with another on the way).

Jan is interred alongside her husband at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland, Oregon.

Video of the memorial service: http://gpointe.com/memorial

Donations (in lieu of flowers) can be made to:

• World Medical Mission c/o Samaritan’s Purse: https://www.samaritanspurse.org/donation-items/world-medical-mission/

• Union Gospel Mission: https://ugmportland.org/donate/