Kathleen Phillips

The Reverend Kathie Phillips

April 12, 1941 – November 21, 2025

The Reverend Kathleen (Kathie) Victoria French Phillips died peacefully, surrounded by family, on Friday afternoon, November 21, 2025. She was born on Easter weekend, Saturday, April 12, 1941, in Worcester, Massachusetts, to Henry Frank French Jr. and Kathleen Lane Mercer French. While a toddler, the family moved to Holden, Massachusetts, where she grew up.

Kathie graduated from Wachusett Regional High School, then earned a degree in elementary education at Worcester State University (then Worcester State Teacher's College) and a master's in counseling psychology from Argosy University. She was baptized Methodist, confirmed Lutheran, and confirmed Anglican. She became a Christian as a preteen and felt a call to be a missionary as a teen. Despite her parents steadfastly opposing the idea at the time, being a missionary was clearly God's plan for her life.

Wherever she went, Kathie poured herself into ministry and service. Her varied career included teaching third grade for three years while Bill completed graduate school and Navy Officer Candidate School. Next, she moved to Washington, DC, where she taught second grade until Karen was born. Then, she went back to Holden for a year while Bill served in Vietnam. Two years in England followed, including Amy's birth in South Ruislip. Then back to Holden and civilian life for 8 years where she started a preschool at Immanuel Lutheran Church. She became an Oblate member of The Community of Jesus in Orleans, MA. Next, she was off to Hendersonville, NC for 7 years where she resurrected a church preschool and partnered in a women's boutique clothing store. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, was the next stop for 3 years, then back to MA. Four years later, she was off to Bangkok and then Hong Kong, and finally moving to Hilton Head Island, SC in 1997.

At St. Luke's Church on Hilton Head Island, she began as parish secretary and soon transformed a struggling children's school into a thriving ministry. About twenty years ago, she answered God's clear call to the diaconate. After an intensive two years of study, she was ordained a deacon in the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina. Her primary vocation as a deacon was the care of missionaries. As International Missionary Care Director for Global Teams, she traveled the world, leading retreats, offering counseling, and nurturing those on the front lines of the mission field to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For many years, she also served on the Global Teams board and led numerous mission teams from St. Luke's to Honduras, Tanzania, and Peru. Commitment to and love for Jesus were the essence of Kathie's life. She was a vital part of St. Luke's intercessory prayer ministry and worked closely with the Rector Emeritus Greg Kronz for nearly thirty years. Her faith shaped every aspect of her being and touched countless lives.

In addition to her family and her St. Luke's church family, Kathie found great joy visiting the coast of Maine-the "real" beaches, as she called them-where many of her ancestors had lived since the 1700s.

Survivors include her loving husband of 61 years, William (Bill) Phillips; daughters, Karen McVey (Brian) of Nashville, Tennessee, and Amy Reese (Dallas) of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina; son, Jon Phillips (Susan) of Siesta Key, Florida; brother, Henry Frank French III (Bobbie) of St. Paul, Minnesota; and sister, Rosemary French Wadnizak of Eugene, Oregon. She was known as Grammie and Mimi to 16 grandchildren: Sarah, Amanda, Nathan, Robbie, David, Hannah, and Joshua McVey; Logan (Tabitha), Tyler, Katie, Ben, Emily, Luke, and Caroline Reese; Will and Sam Phillips, and one great-grandchild, Levi Reese. She was a loving and dedicated grandmother to them all. She also left several nieces and nephews including Susan (Sue) Blake Wilson of York, Maine.

A Funeral Celebration will be held Saturday, December 13, 11:00 AM at St. Lukes Anglican Church, Hilton Head Island.

Memorials or gifts may be made out to: St. Luke's Foundation, 50 Pope Avenue, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, 29928.