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She loved her family fiercely, and that love shaped the way she lived each day.

Mary Elizabeth Phillips, lovingly known as Libby, 89, of Easley, South Carolina, wife of the late Yates. V. Phillips, passed away on Wednesday, September 9, 2026.

Libby was born on August 9, 1937, in Tryon, North Carolina, a daughter of the late George and Maybelle McDowell Walker. Libby will be remembered as a woman of strong character and deep devotion. She loved her family fiercely, and that love shaped the way she lived each day. Independent and feisty, she carried herself with determination and spirit, and those who knew her will remember the unmistakable strength that was so much a part of her. She was also very particular about cleaning and housekeeping, taking pride in the care of her home and the order she created around her. She was a professional homemaker whose work was expressed in the daily acts of love, care, and steadiness that make a house into a home. She was also a semi-professional baker, and the kitchen was one of the places where her warmth could be most deeply felt. Her family's favorite dishes included macaroni and cheese, vegetable soup, cherry cake, coconut cake, and sweet potato cake, and those familiar dishes and desserts will remain cherished reminders of her care and presence. Her faith remained part of her weekly life, and she watched Rock Springs Baptist Church and Blue Ridge View Baptist Church every Sunday. That regular practice was one more reflection of the constancy that marked her life.

Libby is survived by her two daughters, Debbie Reeves (Barry), and Nancy Ford; one brother, Charles Walker; four sisters, Elaine Edwards, Carolyn Toney, Judy Huntsinger, and Peggy Eddy; six grandchildren, Sonia Silvester, Keri Benjamin (Jeremy), William Ford (Courtney), Kyle Reeves (Alexandria), Michael Ford (Ann), and Keith Reeves (Anne); and eleven great-grandchildren, Starr, Skye, William, Isaak, Logaan, Cooper, Tanner, Abigail, Noah, Evelyn, and Lilliana.

In addition to her husband and parents, she is preceded in death by four brothers, Billy Walker, Ray Walker, Douglas Walker, and Kenneth Walker.

Services will be private.

The family extends their heartfelt appreciation to Prisma Health Hospice of the Foothills, especially Heather Seabrook, hospice nurse, and Margot Rabren, NP, palliative nurse practitioner, as well as her caregiver, Gracie Alexander, for the compassionate care and support provided during Libby’s final days.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Prisma Health Hospice of the Foothills, 390 Keowee School Road, Seneca, South Carolina 29672.

Visit RobinsonFuneralHomes.com or Robinson Funeral Home & Crematory - Powdersville Road, Easley.