Keith Phillips

Keith Phillips

NEESES - Funeral services for Keith Phillips, 79 of Neeses, S.C., will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, October 24, 2025, in the Neeses Methodist Church, Neeses, S.C. with the Reverend Jay Fanning officiating. Burial with masonic rites will follow in the Neeses cemetery. The family will receive friends Thursday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. at Folk Funeral Home in Denmark, S.C. Mr. Keith passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday, October 21, 2025.

Honored to serve as pallbearers will be Travis Blume, Dakota Brown, Jared Brown, Troy Gunnells, Andy Shealy and Jake Smith.

Honorary pallbearers will be Claude Gunnells, Joe Gunnells, Arleigh Holden and Daniel Johnson.

Born in Orangeburg County, S.C., Keith was a son of the late Hoyt E. Phillips and Esther Pearl Davis Phillips. He was married to Peggy Gunnells Phillips for 58 years. Keith worked for Southern Bell and later retired from AT&T as an outside plant technician. He was a member of the Neeses Methodist Church, a Shriner and a member of the Norway Masonic Lodge #237. He served his country in the US Army and spent 45 days in Japan during the Vietnam War where he was awarded the Purple Heart medal before finishing up his time at Ft. Jackson. Keith was co-owner of Phillips Plantation. He loved the South Carolina Gamecocks, fishing and hunting. He enjoyed cooking for anyone who would eat: his family, the JDA softball team, the church, or even his contemporaries at the masonic lodge for special events. He and his wife, Peggy, spent several Christmases being Santa and Mrs. Claus. They loved traveling together, as they visited every state in the United States.

Survivors include his loving wife, Peggy G. Phillips; his son, Kelvin (Vicki) Phillips; his grandchildren that he loved dearly, Kolby Phillips and Kiersten Phillips; a sister, Barbara Usher; his favorite sister-in-law, Carolyn (David) Jowers and numerous nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by three sisters, Shelby Timon, Lynn Iris Smith and Gayle Phillips; and two brothers, Hoyt "Sonny Boy" Phillips, Jr. and Kenneth Phillips.

Folk Funeral Home, Inc., Denmark is assisting the family with arrangements. For more details, visit www.folkfuneralhome.com.