WOODLAND – Dewey LaVerne Phillips of Woodland passed away early Sunday morning, December 10, 2017.

LaVerne was born on January 15, 1949 to Dewey and Elizabeth Phillips of Murfreesboro and raised in the Murfreesboro United Methodist Church. LaVerne lived his entire life in northeastern NC. On July 30, 1988 he married Beth Bolton of Woodland and became a member of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Aulander.

He spent most of his life working by his father’s side in Phillips Drainage Company. In his later career, he worked as a Heavy Equipment Technician at Glover Construction Company. He served in the National Guard and was a member of the Woodland Fire Department, Woodland Men’s Club and Roanoke Chowan Bassmasters. A lover of the outdoors and fishing, LaVerne won the NC B.A.S.S. championship in 1989. He also built many cars and his own pig cooker, and was renowned for his delicious barbecue. He could take anything apart and put it back together with his eyes closed.

LaVerne is survived by his wife Beth Bolton Phillips; children, Angela Vaught and her husband Robert of Kill Devil Hills, NC, Brandon Dewey Phillips and his wife Eve of Wilmington, NC, Ashleigh Phillips and Sarah Beth Phillips of Woodland, NC; two sisters, Debi Pedersen and her husband Neil of Chapel Hill, NC and Geri Bradshaw and her husband Keith of Murfreesboro, NC; grandchildren, Sophia Vaught of Kill Devil Hills, NC and Fisher Dewey Phillips of Wilmington, NC; and parents Dewey and Elizabeth Phillips of Murfreesboro, NC.

A visitation will be held at the Fellowship Hall of the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Aulander on Saturday, December 16 at 10 am, followed by a Celebration of Life Service at 11 am.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made directly to the Alzheimer’s Association Eastern NC Chapter, 3739 National Drive, Suite 110, Raleigh, NC 27612, (800) 272-3900 or directly to Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, 225 Pleasant Grove Road, Aulander, NC 27805 or online by visiting www.tmcfunding.com/search, then type LaVerne Phillips.

Garrett-Sykes Funeral Service of Rich Square is handling the arrangements for the Phillips family and online condolences can be directed to the family by visiting www.garrettsykesfs.com.