Phillip Lyle Smith

“He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” Micah 6:8

Phillip Lyle Smith, 80, passed away Tuesday, June 30 at home in Rocky Mount. Born May 12, 1928, to Stanley Clifford and Kathleen Jenkins Smith in the close-knit farming community of Wirtz, VA, he was raised in the Southern Baptist faith at Sandy Ridge Baptist Church. Phillip still had the King James Bible given to him at his baptism, from which the above verse was quoted. Phillip graduated from Boones Mill High School in 1946. He felt especially blessed to have had Mrs. Kate Mills, “Miss Kate”, as his seventh grade teacher and high school English teacher. He frequently mentioned the plays his class enacted and the trips they made to nearby points of interest. An appreciative person all his life, Phillip remembered his bachelor uncle, Herbert Smith, sharing pocket change with him. After Phillip learned to drive on the farm truck, his uncles Sam Jenkins and Gene Hawkins were generous in lending their cars. Phillip believed his in-laws, Tiff and Alpha Guilliams, could not have treated him better had he been their natural son. Alan Minnix, a neighbor, recommended Phillip for a job on the Norfolk and Western (N&W) Railway as a carpenter’s helper on a bridge gang. Although the work was hard he enjoyed the comradery of his fellow workers. Recognizing a beautiful sight and sound, Phillip felt fortunate to have observed Bud Boston as he rhythmically chanted directions to the workmen lining the tracks and laying the rails. The men realized machines would soon replace a vanishing skill. An injury on the bridge gang made Phillip welcome Mr. Clark Whitlow’s offer to train him in the evenings as a telegrapher. Mr. D. N. Green, agent at Boones Mill, also began teaching Phillip railroad station agency work. While working the extra list along the Shenandoah Division of N&W, Phillip continued to learn from other agent/telegraphers. Phillip was drafted by the military in 1952. When the group of draftees in Franklin County was told that the Marine Corps needed men and that, if none volunteered, six would be drafted into the Marines, Phillip was among those who volunteered. Phillip won the expert medal on the rifle range, tying with another recruit for the highest score in the platoon. Transferred to the Marine base in San Diego, CA, Phillip was trained as a radio operator. He was thankful when the conflict in Korea ended and he was not required to go overseas. Returning to the N&W railroad, he eventually trained as a dispatcher. All the dispatchers worked patiently to teach him their craft. John Fitzgerald, the chief dispatcher was always supportive and encouraging. Upon retirement from the Norfolk Southern (NS) Railway with 42 years of service, Phillip treasured the June 30, 1989, letter he received from B. J. Hoops, superintendent of the VA division, which stated:

“It is truly unusual, but very gratifying to look at the career service record of an employee who has been with the railroad company since July 7, 1947, and note that he has never been issued any discipline and has a perfect safety record.”

Phillip often gave credit to his bridge gang foremen, Ira Sink and Alan Minnix, for his keen safety awareness. Phillip is survived by his wife, JoAnne Guilliams Smith; his daughters, Kathryn Arrington and Jenny Ogline and her husband Fred; along with grandchildren Cel and Molly Arrington and Zoe and Emma Ogline. Surviving also are his sister Betty Smith Holland, brothers-in-law H. T. “Buddy” Guilliams and Jack Guilliams and his wife, Sara Ann. Phillip is also survived by several nieces and nephews, including an especially skilled craftsman, Jimmy Holland, who helped him in so many ways in the maintenance of his home, equipment, and the family farm. Jimmy was also a faithful caregiver during Phillip’s illness. In addition to his parents, Phillip was preceded in death by his sister, Lois Margaret Smith, his brother-in-law Dewey E. Holland, and his sister-in-law, Jean Young Guilliams. A memorial service will be held at Trinity Episcopal Church, 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, June 10, with Revs. John and Rachel Gardner officiating. A reception will follow in the parish house. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a church or charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Flora Funeral Service, 665 South Main Street, Rocky Mount.