Bobby Lee "Bo" Phillips Jr.

Bobby Lee Phillips, Jr. 67, of McGehee, died October 7, 2023. "Bo", as he was called by family and friends was born January 22, 1956, in Memphis Tennessee. He was the elder son of Bobby Lee Phillips, Sr. and Virginia Kellum Phillips. He graduated from Dermott High School in 1974. On Valentine's Day, 1976 he married the love of his life, Darlene Downs, and they became the parents of Ashley, Colby Joe, Kyle and Kaley Phillips.
Bobby joined the army in 1983, training at Fort Hood Texas and later stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He was awarded the Expert Marksmanship Badge, and he won First Place Machine Gun in the Adjutant General's Combat Championship in 1993. After finishing his tour with the active army he joined the Arkansas Army National Guard, from which he retired in 2006. During his tenure with the Arkansas Army National Guard he served with the 3rd Battalion, 153rd Infantry Brigade, which mobilized in October, 2003 and arrived in Iraq in March 2004 to serve a 12-month tour in Operation Iraqi Freedom II. While serving in Iraq, he conducted security patrols in Baghdad and later in his tour went to Camp Cuervo, where he trained Iraqi civilians for the Iraqi National Guard. During his tour in Iraq, SSG Phillips received the Combat Infantry Medal and Good Conduct Medal, while completing his 21st year of service in the Arkansas National Guard. After his tour of duty in Iraq, he went back to work at the United States Post Office in Dumas, Arkansas, where he was employed as a mail carrier prior to being mobilized to Iraq.
As an avid outdoorsman, Bobby loved the woods camping, hunting, fishing, anything in nature. He knew which vegetation in the woods was safe to eat, and he knew which herbs and plants were good for healing purposes. He spent his retirement years teaching his grandsons to love, respect, and to be good stewards of the things God had given us in nature. He loved passing on his knowledge and skills to the boys, helping them to harvest their first deer and to always leave the woods as they had found it. They went on day trips, exploring Arkansas and just having a good time wherever they went. Bobby was a Christian, a member of Temple Baptist Church in Dermott, with a giving heart and was always the first to step up and offer a hand, a shoulder, an earnest prayer or some hard earned cash if needed. He was the handiest of handy men for his extended family.always just a phone call away.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Bobby Sr. and Virginia Phillips, his infant daughter, Ashley Jo and his first born son, Colby Joe Phillips. Bobby is survived by his loving wife of 47 years, Darlene Downs Phillips, son, Kyle Lee Phillips (Tiffany) of Tillar, AR, daughter, Kaley Phillips Bishop (Johnathan) of McGehee, AR, grandsons, Spencer Lee Phillips, Jack Elliott Bishop and granddaughter, Jacklyn Monroe Bishop, all of McGehee, his brother, Gene Phillips, of Dermott, AR and his sister, Vickie Morara, of Dumas, AR.
Visitation will be Sunday, November 5, 2023 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Griffin-Culpepper Funeral Service Chapel in McGehee, AR. Funeral services will be Monday, November 6, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. at Dumas First Assembly of God Church, Dumas, AR with Reverend Scott Gilbreth and Ronny Carr officiating. Burial will follow in Halley Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First Service Bank's "Operation Red White and Brave" at P. O. Box 190, Greenbrier, AR, 72058, the Morgan Nick Foundation, 1243 N. Hwy. 71, Alma, AR, 72921 or Dumas First Assembly of God Church, 1-A Melrose Drive, Dumas, AR, 71639.