Mr. Shannon Moore Phillips, age 93, beloved husband of the late Lois Jean McLain Phillips of Treutlen County, released his hands from the plow and passed away peacefully, with his two sons and Granddaughter, Chloe, by his side, at his home on Saturday morning, September 19, 2026.

Born in Vidalia, he was the youngest of two sons born to Vasco Sherrod Phillips and Beulah Moore Phillips. His mother passed away when he was five years old. At the age of seven, the Phillips family came to Treutlen County where he grew up, would make his home, raised his own family and became a recognized and respected member of the community. Shannon was a member of the Class of 1950 at Soperton High School.

After high school, he enlisted in the United States Air Force. While serving in the USAF, in the early 1950s, he was stationed in Saudia Arabia where, as he put it, he served the greatest country God ever gave to man. While on that assignment his unit came under enemy mortar fire and at that time Mr. Phillips realized that there was a God and at that exact time he prayed for the salvation of his soul. During his time in the Air Force, he was honored to be able to visit Jerusalem and walk where Christ had walked. Upon returning to the States and being honorably discharged in 1955, he returned home and enrolled at ABAC in Tifton, on the GI Bill, where he remained until transferring to the University of Georgia earning his Bachelor Degree in Agricultural Economics. Upon graduating from UGA in 1959, he returned home and began raising livestock and row crop farming. While establishing his farm, he worked with the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Office in Soperton and Mt. Vernon from the early 1980s until the mid 1990s.

In 1973, he was recognized by the Ohoopee River Soil and Water District as the “Treutlen County Man of the Year”. Mr. Phillips possessed a strong work ethic that he instilled in his two sons, Terry and Ronnie. They have each walked behind their father, following in his footsteps and becoming well known and respected farmers as well. Mr. Shannon and his sons were the only cotton farmers for many years in Treutlen County. They were the first farmers to install underground drain tiles and terraces and to employ conservation tilling in their farming operation. He would oftentimes talk about and reminisce about his life of farming and the changes that he had witnessed, such as: single row plowing with mules to multi row plowing with tractors that steer themselves; picking cotton by hand, one row at a time, to driving cotton pickers that would harvest multiple rows at once and put the cotton in tight rolls and from applying Arsenic on cotton plants to fight Boll weevils to the complete eradication of this pest. Mr. Phillips was a man of honesty and integrity. He was a good steward of the land and was a devout conservationist of the soil for generations to follow. Even at around the age of 75, he could physically out-work most 20 year-old men.

Mr. Phillips was a member of Morningside Baptist Church where he was the oldest living member.

His passion was work, his family and especially time spent with his grandchildren and great grandchildren.

In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his step mother, Lillian King Phillips, his wife of sixty years, Lois Jean McLain Phillips who passed away in 2021, an infant son, Kerry Phillips, his brother, Arnold Phillips and canine companions, Bitsy and Rags.

Mr. Philips leaves behind, his two sons, Terry Phillips (Laura) and Ronnie of Soperton; his beloved grandchildren, Brandi Dykes, Brenna Phillips, Chloe Phillips, Jacob Phillips; great grandchildren, Mason, Madilyn and Abigail Dykes; a special friend, Janis Talley; his canine companion, Speedy, his church family at Morningside Baptist Church and the remaining living members of the Soperton High School Class of 1950.

Funeral services will be conducted at 11:00 o’clock in the morning on Tuesday, September 22, 2026 at Boiling Springs Baptist Church with Pastor Vic Fordham, Pastor Owen Waters and Mr. Van Phillips officiating.

Mr. Phillips will be laid to rest beside his wife in the Boiling Springs Baptist Church Cemetery.

Serving as pallbearers will be: Jacob Phillips, Tom Phillips, Greg Powell, Mark Lumley, Wes Williamson and Tony Way.

Honorary pallbearers will be: Sylvester Harris and Alvin Heath.

His family will receive friends on Tuesday, at the church, from 10:00 o’clock a.m. until the hour of service or friends and family may visit at the home of his son, Terry Phillips.

His family would like to extend a special thanks to: Kimberly Lewis, Arnold Lumley, Sylvester Harris and his other caregivers for the care and attention paid to him during his recent illness.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in his memory are encouraged to be made to Morningside Baptist Church, Boiling Springs Baptist Church, or to the charity of one’s choice.

Please share a memory, leave a condolence message and sign the online guest register at www.sammonsfuneralhome.com

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