Roy D. Phillips

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Phillips, Roy D. Roy Dennis Phillips, 66, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly in Rabat, Morocco on April 24, 2008. Roy, who lived most of his adult life in St. Paul, Minnesota, had been a resident of Tucson since 2001. At the time of his death, Roy was a retired Unitarian minister who was still preaching, writing, teaching and consulting with churches throughout the country. His last church was the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tucson, from which he retired in 2004. Earlier, he was minister of the Unity Unitarian Church in St. Paul for twenty-eight years where he became the senior pastor at age 29. Son of the late Dennis Sotir Phillips, an Albanian immigrant, and Emily Scott Phillips, Roy was born June 23, 1941, in Boston, Massachusetts. Roy is survived by his beloved partner, Patricia C. Harmon of Tucson. He was intensely proud of his four and Patricia's two young adult children and adored his two grandchildren. Roy's eldest son, Joseph Phillips, and his wife Leila Safi, live in Rabat with his granddaughters, Kenza, age 3, and Selma, nine months. He is also survived by his son Luke Phillips and wife Aide of Albuquerque, New Mexico; daughter Lisa Phillips of Asheville, North Carolina; son Nicolas Phillips of Queens, New York; and Patricia's daughter Laura Sanborn and son Blair Harmon of Minneapolis, Minnesota; and his sister Diana Saunders, her husband Terry and daughter Meghan of Charlottesville, Virginia. A memorial service in honor of Roy's life will be held on Friday, May 2, in Tucson. In lieu of flowers, the Phillips Harmon family would prefer memorial donations to Sunstone Cancer Support Centers, 2545 North Woodland, Tucson, AZ 85749. Roy was a four-and-a-half year survivor of pancreatic cancer at the time of his death and an active volunteer at Sunstone, of which his partner Patricia Harmon is the President and CEO.

Published on April 28, 2008