Mary Jo Phillips' Obituary
Mary Josephine Hastings Phillips, age 90, died at home on Friday, April 26. She was born in Hardy, Arkansas on July 31, 1922 to the late Pauline and Hubert Hastings and moved to Memphis with her parents at a young age, attending the Hutchison School and the University of Tennessee, where she was a member of Chi Omega sorority. In 1998, her husband of 56 years, John Phillips III, predeceased her, as did her son-in-law, Frederick Charles Schaeffer in 1997 and her infant great-grandson, Robert Culpepper Covington III in 2010. Mary Jo leaves two children: Josephine Phillips Schaeffer and John Phillips IV (Paige) and six grandchildren: Anne Schaeffer Pringle (Charles) of Jackson, MS., Frederick Charles Schaeffer Jr. (Courtney) of Memphis, Josephine Schaeffer Covington (Robert) of Little Rock, AR., and John Phillips V (Ivy), Paige Phillips and Bailey Phillips, all of Memphis. She also leaves seven great-grandchildren: Charlie, William, and Caroline Pringle of Jackson, MS., Courtney and Fred Schaeffer III of Memphis, and Nell and Mary Covington of Little Rock, AR. Mary Jo was a member of Second Presbyterian Church, Community Bible Study, Junior League of Memphis, lifetime member of the Dixon Gallery and Gardens, the Antiquarians, the Tuesday Study Club, the Memphis Book Club, the Memphis Country Club and the Memphis Hunt and Polo Club. Heartfelt thanks to her faithful caregivers, Jodie Coleman and Carolyn Reed with Attendant Care Services, and Crossroads Hospice. There will be a family graveside service at Memorial Park Cemetery on Monday April 29th at 11 am with a Memorial Service at 12 pm in the Chapel at Second Presbyterian Church. Visitation will follow the service in the Salmon Room. The family requests in lieu of flowers, all donations are directed to Second Presbyterian Church, the Dixon Gallery and Gardens, or a charity of the donor’s choice.
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