Phillip Keith

Coleman Funeral Home of Oxford Phillip Barry Keith, age 74, passed away at his home in Oxford on Sunday, December 25, 2022. The family will receive friends on Wednesday, December 28, 2022, from 10:00 AM until 12:00 PM at Coleman Funeral Home of Oxford. The memorial service celebrating his life will take place on Wednesday, December 28, 2022, at 12:00 PM in the chapel at Coleman Funeral Home of Oxford He was born in Vicksburg, MS on March 25, 1948, the youngest of four to Venie (Cannon) and John Franklin Keith, Sr. He spent his childhood in the MS Delta. Phillip was a four-sport athlete lettering in basketball, baseball, football, and track at Anguilla High School. There he also met his high school sweetheart and the true love of his life, Julia Gail Diffey. The couple were homecoming queen and escort. Phillip attended Mississippi State University. In 1968, Philip married his high school sweetheart, Gail, and they started their 54 year marriage living in Horn Lake, MS. After working for Ellis Bagwell Drug Company in Memphis, TN, he started his career in pipelines working for Dixie Pipeline Company in Zachary, LA. He continued to work for Dixie in Raleigh, NC, where they welcomed their first daughter, Amanda, in 1972. Phillip then transferred to Houston, TX, to work for Exxon, and they welcomed their second daughter, Lauren, in 1975. In 1976, Phillip returned to the MS Delta to assume the family farm after his father suffered a heart attack. He also continued to work in the pipeline business as an employee for Mid-Valley Pipeline Company. He worked his way up from ditch digger to operator to electrician and finally to technical supervisor after his transfer to Oxford. Phillip retired from Mid-Valley in 2006 but continued in the pipeline world through his consulting business. He traveled all of the US, Mexico, and even Peru. In his personal life, Phillip enjoyed attending all types of sporting events for the schools where Gail taught. Once his daughters were of age, he traveled all over the state to watch them play basketball and compete in track meets. His love of sports and his family continued as he never missed a game of basketball or baseball that his grandson, Logan, played as well. He even helped coach one of Logan’s OPC baseball teams. He was well-known and loved by all of their teammates. He was beginning to follow his great-granddaughter, Khloe, in her basketball games. Phillip is survived by his loving wife, Julia Gail Diffey Keith of Oxford, his daughters, Amanda Keith of Simpsonville, SC, and Lauren Keith Lundgren (Ryan) of Oxford, his grandchildren Hannah Russell, Taylor Lundgren McGregory (Dan), Logan Russell (Della), and Weslee Lundgren, all of Oxford, and Daniel and Nathan Drake of Simpsonville, SC, his great grandchildren , Khloe Pegues, Jackson and Delainey McGregory, and Archie Russell, as well as his sister, Janice Taylor (Ronnie) of Senatobia. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Frank Keith, Jr., and sister, Fonda McKay. The family would like to extend a special thank you to Dr. Ryan Yates and the staff at Baptist Cancer Center. He considered the staff as “his girls” on his weekly visits. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Baptist Cancer Center Oxford - The Mary and Jerry Lexa Patient Assistance Fund. The staff at Coleman Funeral Home of Oxford is to serve the Keith family as they walk through this season of loss.

Phillip Keith

March 25, 1948 - December 25, 2022

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