Obituaries – 8/14/2020

Published 4:40 pm Friday, August 14, 2020

John Phipps

Oct. 6, 1941–Aug. 11, 2020

Master Chief Petty Officer John K. Phipps, U.S. Navy (retired), born Oct. 6, 1941, to Garnet W. (“Jack” or “Red”) and Mabel Matney Phipps in Ironton, died peacefully at home of natural causes, surrounded by loved ones, on Aug. 11, 2020, in Provo, Utah.

MCPO Phipps was a decorated Vietnam War veteran. At the end of the war, John found himself serving as an operations specialist (range/flight control) aboard the aircraft carrier USS Midway.

In that capacity, during the evacuation of Saigon, operating under the call sign “Horizontal John,” then-Senior Chief Phipps guided aboard to safety many civilian airplanes, including the last civilian aircraft to leave Saigon.

John narrowly escaped death during the deadly Oct. 26, 1966 fire aboard the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany.

During his military career, John held many positions of great responsibility. While in the Navy, John served aboard the USS Truckee, a tanker, the USS Vigil, a radar picket ship, and the three aircraft carriers, the USS Oriskany, the USS Midway and the USS Coral Sea and pulled shore duty for two tours at the Pacific Missile Test Center in Pt. Mugu, California

John graduated from Dawson-Bryant High School in Coal Grove, in 1959 and earned an associate’s degree from Palomar College in Palomar, California, in 1974.

Despite his worldwide travels in the Navy and beyond, John was a lifelong fan of the Cincinnati Reds and The Ohio State Buckeyes.

In retirement, John served his church and community in a variety of roles. John and his beloved wife of 58 years, Nell Brubaker Phipps, of South Point, lived and worked in Mariposa and Atwater, California, for better part of 30 years. During his years in Mariposa, John led the local congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Like his parents before him, John was a committed patriot and a disciple of Jesus Christ. John lived by faith in Him, with hope in the resurrection and with charity towards all. John instilled these values in his children.

John was preceded in death by his father and mother; and by his brother-in-law, Jack Collins, all of Coal Grove.

John is survived by his siblings, Jim (Eva), Doris Collins and Bob (Janie); and by his wife, Nell; their children, J. Matthew (Mary), Karen Harris (Mark), Jim (Lori), Bruce (Lisa), Doug (Amy) and Erin Smelcer (Anthony); 22 grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren and counting. Many others think of John as a surrogate father, as mentoring was in his nature.

An open-air service in John’s memory will be held on Today at 6:30 p.m. Mountain Standard Time at the Garden Villas Pavilon near Canyon Road and 190 E, Provo, Utah.

The link enabling remote, two-way participation in the service is Bit.ly/john-phipps (case sensitive). For the Meeting ID and Passcode or further information about the service, please contact jim@phipps.pro.

Ethel Fowler

Ethel L. Fowler, 92, of Chesapeake, died Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020, at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Huntington, West Virginia.

A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at Highland Memorial Gardens in South Point.

Schneider-Hall Funeral Home in Chesapeake, is assisting the family with arrangements.

Condolences may be expressed to the family at schneiderhallfuneralhome.com.

Jack Fowler

Jack L. Fowler, 85, of Pt. Pleasant, West Virginia, died Monday, Aug. 10 at the Hospice House of Huntington in Huntington, West Virginia.

He was a council member for Point Pleasant and later served as founder and director of the Point Pleasant River Museum and Learning Center.

As per his request, there will be no visitation. A private graveside service will be held for the family.

Crow-Hussell Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. www.crowhussellfh.com.

Alfred Greene

Nov. 6, 1949–Aug. 11, 2020

Alfred “Lee” Greene, 70, of Ironton, passed away Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020, at Harbor Healthcare of Ironton.

The Flatwoods, Kentucky, native was born Nov. 6, 1949, a son of the late Alfred Paris Greene and Mary Bailey Greene.

Lee was a 1969 graduate of Ironton High School. He was saved and baptized in 1973.

Lee was a master electrician and loved studying electricity, which he taught at several technical colleges. He was a retired electrician with Muth Lumber Company and former owner/operator of Greene’s Electric.

Lee’s legacy of hard work and devotion to his family and friends will always be remembered. No one can ever take his place in our hearts.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his step-father, William Buck; father-in-law, Ronald Murnahan; and a brother-in-law, Dennis Murphy.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife of 51 years and high school sweetheart, Linda Hay Greene; daughter, Tina Greene; two grandsons, Ian Vaughn and Aidan Brown, who he adored; sisters, Norma Murphy and Mary Mowery, both of Ironton, sister-in-law, Brenda Cade of Ironton, mother-in-law, Jewell Murnahan of Ironton; nephews, Dennis Murphy Jr., of Ironton, Michael Justice, of Hilliard, and Travis Cade, of Ironton; and niece, Angela Scott of Ironton.

The Greene family will receive friends on Monday from 11 a.m.–1 p.m. at Phillips Funeral Home, 1004 S. 7th St., Ironton, Ohio 45638. Funeral services will begin Monday at 1 p.m. with Pastor Lenny Campbell officiating. Burial will follow in Woodland Cemetery, Ironton.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation or Oakland Chapel Church.

The Greene family would like to thank the staff of Harbor Healthcare of Ironton for the wonderful care Lee received during his illness, it is greatly appreciated.

To offer online condolences to the family, please visit www.phillipsfuneralhome.net.