Shannon Moore Phillips, 93

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. Funeral services were conducted Tuesday, September 22, at 11 a.m. at Boiling Springs Baptist Church with Pastor Vic Fordham, Pastor Owen Waters and Mr. Van Phillips officiating. Mr. Phillips was laid to rest beside his wife in the Boiling Springs Baptist Church Cemetery. Family received friends Tuesday from 10 a.m. until the hour of service at the church.

Pallbearers were Jacob Phillips, Tom Phillips, Greg Powell, Mark Lumley, Wes Williamson and Tony Way. Honorary pallbearers were Sylvester Harris and Alvin Heath.

Born in Vidalia, Shannon 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 went 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, Shannon 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, Shannon 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, Shannon 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’s degree in Agricultural Economics. Upon graduating from UGA in 1959, Shannon 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, Shannon was recognized by the Ohoopee River Soil and Water District as the “Treutlen County Man of the Year”. He 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. 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. Shannon 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, Shannon could physically out-work most 20-year-old men. Shannon 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, Mr. Phillips is preceded in death by his stepmother, Lillian King Phillips; wife of sixty years, Lois Jean McLain Phillips who passed away in 2021; infant son, Kerry Phillips; brother, Arnold Phillips; and canine companions, Bitsy and Rags.

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

Mr. Phillips’ family would like to extend a special thank you 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.

Sammons Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.