EWELL COMMUNITY…Mr. Robert Douglas “Hadacol” Phillips (Sergeant, Alabama Army National Guard, Retired) a resident of the Ewell Community, died early Friday morning, September 18, 2026, at the home of his sister. He was 83.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 P.M. Monday, September 21, 2026, in the Fuqua Bankston Funeral Home Chapel with Pastor Merrell Henry officiating. Graveside services, with full military honors, will follow in Pleasant Grove Baptist Church Cemetery. Fuqua Bankston Funeral Home of Ozark is in charge of arrangements. The family will receive friends from 1:00 until 2:00 P.M. Monday at the funeral home.
Mr. Phillips, son of the late Robert Wesley Phillips and Edna Cook Smith, was a native and lifelong resident of Ozark, a community he was proud to call home throughout his life. Mr. Phillips was a hardworking man who spent many years providing for his family. He was formerly employed with White Knight and Van Heusen in Ozark, working at both until their closings. He also proudly served his state and country through the Alabama Army National Guard, retiring after a dedicated military career with the rank of Sergeant.
But beyond his work and military service, Mr. Phillips will perhaps be remembered most for his friendly personality and the way he enjoyed being around people. He truly never met a stranger. Whether he had known someone for years or had only just been introduced, he had a way of making conversation and making others feel comfortable and welcome.
Friday nights were something Mr. Phillips especially looked forward to. One of his favorite things to do was make the trip to Samson, where he could enjoy a good meal, spend time with friends, and, most importantly, do a little dancing. Those Friday night trips brought him a great deal of happiness and became a special part of the life he enjoyed.
Mr. Phillips was an avid University of Alabama football fan and enjoyed cheering on the Crimson Tide. Mr. Phillips was a member of Campground Baptist Church. His church family and the friendships he made throughout the years were meaningful parts of his life.
He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of forty-seven years, Carolyn Rogers Phillips. Forty-seven years together brought a lifetime of memories, ordinary days that became special simply because they were shared, and a love that remained an important part of his story even after her passing. In addition to his wife and parents, Mr. Phillips was preceded in death by his brother, Hansel Darrell Smith, and his stepfather, Ernest Hansel Smith.
Surviving relatives include his two sons, Bobby Phillips (Tiffanie), Talladega and Keith Peters (Vida), Ozark; daughter, Cindy Holzer (Jay), Enterprise; two sisters, Vicky Smith, Ewell and Reba Enfinger (Dan), Echo Community; two brothers, Ernest Durwood Smith (Diane) and Ricky Smith (Betty), all of Ewell; twelve grandchildren, Robby Phillips, Keanan Phillps, Savanna Tharpe, Tyler Mitchell (Bailey), Rosa Williams (Chad), Shelby Williams, Hannah Ingram (Bruce), P.J. Williams, Ashley Lesinzski (Kevin), Justin Grice, Shannon Swain (Jason), and Anthony Peters (Ashley); thirteen great-grandchildren, Daylan Phillips, Rosie Ann Phillips, Ivey Kate Tharpe, Penelope Williams, Coleson Killingsworth, Jackson Mitchell, Maria Mitchell, Kaleb Lesinzski, Ethan Swain, Alexis Lopez, Samuel Peters, Abigail Peters, and Allison Peters; several nieces and nephews.
Serving as active pallbearers will be Anthony Peters, Kaleb Lesinzski, Kevin Lesinzski, Tyler Mitchell, Justin Grice, and Robby Phillips. Honorary pallbearers will be Ralph Brown, Royce Mitchell, and Loyd Jackson.
**The family asks everyone to wear jeans and an Alabama shirt or colors, as he loved the University of Alabama. **
You may sign a guest register at www.fuquabankston.com
