Lily Rice Phillips

Mrs. Phillips was born in Mitchell County and was a daughter of the late Fred William and Ruth Berry Rice. She was also preceded in death by a daughter, Tammy Phillips Earley who died June 11, 1983, and by a sister, Thelma Hernandez, who died November 6, 2000. She was a loving homemaker.

Surviving are her husband, Tony T. Phillips; one daughter, Tonya Phillips Scott of Asheville; three grandchildren, Jason Earley, Tiffany Scott and Tammy Scott; one great-granddaughter, Lily Scott; two brothers, Ben Rice of Asheville and Brown Rice of Adrian, MI; five sisters, Eunice Caldwell of Asheville, Frankie Robinson of Chicago, IL, Ida Ferez of Adrian, MI, and Margaret and Virginia of Spruce Pine.

Funeral services will be at 1:30 pm Sunday in the Patton Avenue chapel of Groce Funeral Home with the Rev. Donald N. Welborn officiating. Burial will be at Elk Mountain Cemetery.

Her family will receive friends from 7 - 8:30 pm Saturday at the funeral home.