advertisement

Donald E. Phillips, formerly of Du Quoin

Donald E. Phillips, 85 years of age, died of natural causes at 10:07 p.m. on Friday, March 20, 2020 at his home near Heyworth, Illinois. By his side were family members including Peggy, his wife of over 63 years.

Don is survived by Peggy; their sons, G. Michael (Marlene) Phillips of Pasadena, California, Steven (Sue) Phillips of Greenview, Illinois and David (Kelley) Phillips of Heyworth. Don is also survived by several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Born on Aug. 8, 1934, in Kansas City, Kansas, Donald Ernst Phillips, the son of Russell Augustus and Theresa Irene (Ernst) Phillips, grew up in Du Quoin, Illinois. He graduated from Du Quoin High School in the class of 1952.

His parents preceded him in death.

Mr. Phillips attended Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, where he earned his bachelor's degree in journalism in 1956. He was a reporter, photojournalist, and editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, the Egyptian.

After college, Mr. Phillips was a news writer with the Marion Daily Republican, in Marion, Illinois. In 1960, he accepted a position as a writer with the Illinois Agricultural Association (IAA) where he worked for the balance of his career.

On June 10, 1974, Mr. Phillips launched FarmWeek, a weekly newspaper he created and developed for IAA which focused on farming and the Illinois agricultural industry. He was FarmWeek's first editor.

Mr. Phillips requested that his remains be cremated. A memorial service will be announced at a later date.

Calvert-Belangee-Bruce Funeral Home in Heyworth is in charge of arrangements. To read more about Mr. Phillips, go to www.calvertbelangeebruce.com.