Paul Phibbs

Paul Phibbs July 24, 1942 – January 15, 2025 Raised in the Shenandoah Valley and retired in Asheville, NC, Paul Vester Phibbs, Jr. loved the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Atlantic Coast, listening to a wide variety of music, and making new friends wherever he traveled. Paul was born in 1942 to Bertha and Paul Phibbs, Sr., who instilled in him the values of family connection and a strong work ethic. He was the eldest of four siblings, a loving big brother to Betty, Charles and Morris. Paul loved to tell stories of his early years. He also had close relationships with both of his grandfathers, particularly his maternal grandfather with whom he spent untold hours working around the farm. Paul graduated from Turner Ashby High School in Dayton, Virginia, where he once played the second half of a football game with a broken arm. He then enrolled at Bridgewater College and studied life sciences. He had particular affinities for professors "Doc" Jopson and Frances Silliman, in whose honor Paul and his wife Marilyn established the Frances E Silliman Endowment Fund to support guest lectures for students in the sciences. Paul received the Bridgewater College Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1986. Paul went on to study microbiology and immunology at the University of Georgia, earning both a Master of Science and Doctorate. It was on that campus in Athens, GA where he met Marilyn Wise, whom he married in 1968. Following a post-doctoral research year at the University of Minnesota, Paul had a long, distinguished career serving on the faculties at the Medical College of Virginia (MCV) and East Carolina University (ECU). As Chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at ECU, he established the medical school's biotechnology program and served on the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Biotechnology Center. Post-retirement, he served on the Board of the North Carolina Arboretum and volunteered with both Habitat for Humanity and Meals on Wheels. Paul was a devoted husband to Marilyn for 56 years and a loving father to daughters Heather and Elizabeth, as well as a doting G-Pa to his grandchildren, Henry and June. Paul passed away on January 15, age 82, at his home in Asheville, NC. Memorial contributions may be made to Bridgewater College or Habitat for Humanity. A celebration of life will be planned for Paul in the spring. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Paul Phibbs, please visit our floral store.