Barbara Wampler Phillips' Obituary
Barbara Phillips, affectionately called “Barbo”, was born August 25, 1926, and passed away in Denver, Colorado, on July 9, 2016, shortly before her ninetieth birthday. Her graveside service will be held at 1:30 PM Thursday, July 14, 2016 at Gladewater Memorial Park Cemetery with a memorial service following at 3:00 PM at First United Methodist Church of Longview under the direction of Rader Funeral Home. She was born in Amarillo, TX and was the only child of Floyd “Bugs” Wampler and Goldie Roden Wampler.
She had an engaging and independent personality that captivated and endeared her to all she met. Her skills in the kitchen were legendary, and she generously shared her creations with her family and large circle of friends. The blooms from her cutting garden graced the homes of many grateful admirers. She graduated high school at age sixteen as salutatorian of her class in Gladewater and entered the University of Texas at Austin. She graduated the University in December of 1945 with a BS in bacteriology.
On December 21, 1946, Barbara married Jack Phillips, also of Gladewater. They remained in Austin until Jack received his degree in 1949, at which time they moved back home to Gladewater. While Jack pursued a career in geology, Barbara made a home for their two daughters. She served as a Camp Fire Girl leader, taught Sunday School and Methodist Youth Fellowship at the First United Methodist Church of Gladewater where she and Jack were members for seventy years.
Barbara traveled extensively through Europe with her friends from the Stockpot, studying with such famous chefs as Julia Child, Simone Beck and Ann Willan. For many years, she and Jack were members of the Kitchen Kabinet, a group of close friends who gathered weekly for food and fellowship and who enjoyed offering their talents in the kitchen to numerous fundraisers and local charities. Barbara and Jack also enjoyed many safaris throughout Africa with their family where they made lifelong friends. Barbara served her community as a board member of the East Texas Treatment Center and as an advisory board member of the Longview Museum of Fine Arts.
Barbara’s first love was her family. She was an active participant in every aspect of the lives of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, oftentimes directing, guiding, and cheering their accomplishments from her kitchen table with the assistance of her telephone. She attended as many plays, programs, sporting events and grandparent programs as possible, and in doing so, garnered the praise and admiration of both her grand and great grandchildren’s friends and their parents. She was fondly recognized as the surrogate mother, grandmother and great grandmother to a multitude of children from Denver, Tyler, Longview and Africa.
She is survived by her husband Jack; their daughters Gail Mizer of Austin and Nancy and her husband, Mark Abernathy of Longview. She is also survived by Gail’s children, Ashley and her husband Justin Morris of Tyler, Stephen Mizer and his wife Alex of Tyler, Whitney and her husband Mark Land of Tyler and Sutton Schoonover-Mizer of Kingsville; Nancy’s children, Leslie Johnson and her husband Burke of Denver, Clay Abernathy and his wife Jaclyn of Longview, and Claire Henry and her husband David of Longview. Her eleven great grandchildren who adore her are Hyde and Styles Morris, Stephen Jack Jr. and Clay Mizer, Stella and Mark Land Jr., Anna and Kate Johnson, Jack Madison Abernathy and Eloise and Sarah Henry.
Pallbearers are her grandsons, grandsons-in-law, Godchild Jack Walker of Houston and adopted South African grandson Phillip Kelly-Maartens. Honorary pallbearers are Howard Coghlan, Bruce Falkner, Jerry Harris, Charles Thomas, Stephen Charles Mizer, Lloyd Bolding, Roy Briggs, Kent Abernathy, Brent Abernathy, Elmer Ellis and Roger Chapman. She and Roger started kindergarten together in Gladewater.
The Phillips family would like to thank Loevijilda Rojas, Norman Aguillon and Beverly Small for their years of service and love.
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