Betty Phillips

Today we celebrate the life of Betty Carol Phillips Braden. Betty was born June 26, 1946 in Meridian, MS to James Shelby Howse and Mildred C. Phillips and died September 20, 2012 surrounded by her family. The bedrock of her family, Betty was full of love and compassion, and strength to everyone. She was an inspiration and role model to her children and grandchildren as well as a great source of comfort to all who knew her. Betty saw the best in everyone and encouraged those around her to strive for their dreams. She was greatly loved because she gave great love to all she met. Betty is preceded in death by her husband and love of 38 years, Tommy Gene Phillips, Sr. and together they raised six children and built a strong family; her fathers, James Shelby Howse and Joseph Paul Hughes, Sr.; siblings, Diane Tankersley, Joseph Hughes, Jr., Randy Hughes, Donna Parker and several brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews. Survivors include her husband, Larry C. Braden of Boardman, OR who reconnected after forty years and fell in love and decided to continue building the family; her mother, Mildred C. Hughes of Big Sandy, Tenn.; children, Sheri and Terry Cutter of Saucier, Guerry and Susan Phillips of Savannah, GA, Teresa Edney of Melbourne, FL, Kim and Glen Chatham of Biloxi, Tommy Phillips, Jr. and Maria Fancher of Independence, KY, Jerry and Amanda Phillips, Louise Phillips all of Joanna, SC, Lorenna Braden, Lori and Jason McNeil, Lisa and J.R. Collier, Larry and Ashley Braden, Jr. and Landen and Vanessa Braden all of Boardman, OR; siblings, Barbie and Paul Chronistor, Dottie and Bill Zieger, Debbie Tankersley, John Tankersley, Jimmy and Brenda Howse, Mary Lou and Gerald Hammonds, Bobby Hughes and Kaye and Danny Malicoat; 29 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren as well as many aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews. The family would like to extend a special thank you to Biloxi Regional Hospital and Dr. Reza Motakhaveri for many years of care, Dr. Stephanie Fussell and Gulfport Memorial Cancer Center Staff, Odyssey Hospice, Dr. Eric Gamboia, Dr. Michael Myers and Kadlee Regional Medical Center and her medical family in Kennewick, WA. Visitation will be held on Monday, September 24, 2012 from 6:00pm until 8:00pm at Bradford O’Keefe Funeral Home, 15452 O’Neal Road, Gulfport. The funeral service will be Tuesday, September 25, 2012 at 11:15am at the funeral home chapel. Interment will follow at Biloxi National Cemetery where Betty will be buried with Tommy Phillips.