Phillip W. Bethea

Phillip William Bethea, better known as Bubby, was born on March 15, 1955 in Trenton, NJ to Phillip and Grace Bethea. Phillip received his wings early in the morning on June 24, 2024, at Carnegie Post Acute Care Princeton.
Phillip was formally educated in the Trenton Public School System and was a 1973 graduate of Trenton Central High School. After several years of living life on his own terms, and working odd jobs, Phillip, along with his younger brother, discovered that they both love to cook and decided to go back to school. They enrolled in the Professional Cooking Program at Mercer County Community College, majoring in Hotel, Restaurant, and Institution Management, where he graduated with an Associate's degree. It was Phillip's dream to work on a cruise ship, but his love for home, family, and friends kept him in Trenton where he found a home at the Trenton Rescue Mission.
Phillip was hired at the Rescue Mission as a cook on the last day of the year, December 31, 1999. He provided full oversight of the kitchen for years until an unexpected illness occurred. While working at the Rescue Mission, Phillip's love of family and cooking led him to suggest to his supervisors that the Mission should implement a bereavement program. This program would provide assistance to immediate family members of current staff during bereavement by supplementing food for the family's repast. That program was implemented and continues today.
After Phillip recovered from his illness, he returned to his second home, the Rescue Mission and requested to be transferred to the Behavioral Health Unit as a Recovery Associate.
A few years later, after working in the Behavioral Health Unit, Phillip requested to be transferred again, and he was hired as an Emergency Service Associate in the Emergency Shelter. There, he worked the overnight shift on the Men's Floor until his retirement on March 31, 2019.
As much as Phillip loved the Rescue Mission, he also loved hanging out with family and friends and watching sports on TV. His favorite sport was football and his favorite team was the Pittsburgh Steelers - and he loved that team a little less than he loved his family and friends.
Phillip was very quiet, thoughtful, patient and sensitive - traits that most of the males in our family inherited. He was so quiet sometimes you did not know he was there, and when you looked at him, he always seemed to be thinking about something, rarely sharing his thoughts. As quiet as he was, everywhere he went he still managed to touch many lives. God called this gentle man home way too soon,
With a heavy heart, all those who knew and loved Phillip will feel an empty void in their heart until we meet him again.
Phillip was predeceased by his father, Phillip Bethea; mother, Grace C. Bethea; brother, Marvin L. Bethea; brother-in-law, Raymond Legette; and two nephews, Keith L. Bethea and Taquan Foxworth.
Phillip leaves to cherish his precious memories his siblings, Sharon Legette of Ewing, NJ, Grace Vincent (Jeffrey) of Morrisville, PA, James Keith (Yolanda) of Ewing, NJ, Cozet Meekins (Donald) of Hamilton Twp., NJ and Crystal Booth (Nathaniel) of Trenton, NJ; seven nephews, seven nieces, and a host of great nieces and nephews, great-great nieces and nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.