Ora L Phillips

The Life of Ms. Ora Lee Phillips will be celebrated on Monday, September 7, 2015, 1:00 PM, MK DIXON Funeral Home, 211 Main Street, Baldwin, LA. She will be buried in St. John Baptist Church Cemetery, Four Corners, LA. Rev. Clifford Johnson will officiate the service.

Visitation will be Monday, September 7, 2015, 9:00 AM until the time of service at MK Dixon Funeral Home.

Ora was born in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana. She was the oldest of nine daughters of Arthur "Ben" Phillips and Georgiana Robertson-Phillips. She married at an early age to Terry Derouen of Weeks Island, Louisiana.

Ora's education began in the local schools of St. Mary Parish. For a short time thereafter, she moved to Boston, Massachusetts to begin a new life. She recognized early in her life that she had an extraordinary gift for cooking. While in Boston, Ora worked in a restaurant and was tutored in food preparation under the head chef of one of Boston's finest hotels. Also, she was a seasonal worker in the local agricultural industry. Later she worked as many summers as she could in Minneapolis, Minnesota at various hotels in the housekeeping department. However, she decided to return to Louisiana because she wanted to spend more time with her children and to participate in rearing them.

Ora had a wonderful sense of humor and she made it her goal to make people laugh. She always had a joke to tell or a funny story that she had heard and couldn't wait to share with the next person she met. But, her greatest source of pride was the many hats she wore in the life of her family. She was a proud mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin and friend. But, the role she cherished and held most dear to her heart was her role as a daughter. Her mother was her best friend and they shared the good times as well as the bad. Ora loved all kinds of music. She loved to sing and she loved to dance. But, most of all, she loved being with people who enjoyed the very same things.

But, her greatest love was her love for her God. In the word of God she found comfort and peace. She visited many churches to help fill her never-ending thirst to hear his word. She read her bible everyday of her life. And, she never missed an opportunity to bid "farewell" to everyone she knew during their homegoing. She always paid her final respects to all of the people she knew and loved and to all those who she simply called "friend."

Ora leaves behind to cherish her memory her five children: Gilda Smith of Glencoe, LA, Ronald (Lisa) Phillips of Beaumont, TX, Ora Lynette (Vernon) Richardson of New Iberia, LA, Shirley Phillips Steward and Donna Phillips Stubbs of Jeanerette, LA. She leaves three grandchildren that she reared from infancy: Herschel L. Phillips of Jeanerette, LA, Davitra L. Stubbs of Baton Rouge, LA and Shelton D. Phillips of Glencoe, LA; her grandchildren: Krystal (Michael) Lofton, K'wan Steward of Austin, TX and Diamond L. Robertson of Jeanerette, LA. The great grandchildren include: Donte' Phillips, Dante'Vian Phillips of Jeanerette, LA, Ezra William, Malik William, and Savannah Lofton of Austin, TX. Her siblings include: Jessie (Melvina) Gibson of Houston, TX, Patricia Gibson, John Phillips, Arthur Phillips, Thelma Phillips, Mary Phillips Rochon, Georgia Taylor, and Angenetta Phillips all of Jeanerette, LA, Gloria (Joe) Wilkins and Lawrence (Jean) Phillips of Los Angeles, CA, Audrey Robertson and Lether C. Vavassoeur of Washington, DC, Belvin (Melvin) Givens of Baton Rouge, LA. Also, she leaves behind over 100 nieces and nephews, many beloved cousins and treasured friends.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Arthur "Ben" Phillips and Georgiana Robertson Phillips; her grandson Allen "Papa" Phillips, her sister, Marva Louise Robertson, and her brothers Northern Gibson, Sr., Segers Phillips, Sr. and Henry Phillips.