Fred Phillips Pettijohn

Fred “Phil” Phillips Pettijohn Jr.., age 61, passed away Wednesday, September 15th, at Big Bend Hospice House of Tallahassee, after a valiant fight against a devastating illness. The family will receive friends 12:00-3:00PM EDT, Friday, September, 24, 2010 at Culley’s MeadowWood Funeral Home, Riggins Road Chapel.

Phil was born in Tallahassee on June 1, 1949. When he was four years old, the family moved to Ft. Lauderdale. There he was a talented, competitive swimmer for the Ft. Lauderdale Swim Club. In the mid-60’s Phil started writing, soliciting contributors, and reporting news as a writer/editor for his high school newspaper. His love for writing surely came from his father Fred Sr., who originally was a sports editor for The Tallahassee Democrat.

In 1953 the family moved to Ft. Lauderdale where Fred Pettijohn Sr. went on to become managing editor, executive editor, and general manager for the Ft. Lauderdale News and the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel. Phil studied journalism for several years at the University of Florida and later obtained his B.A. in Urban Sociology from Florida International University. He funded his college education by writing. Phil always had a love for fast cars and loved nothing more than to go to the race track with his racing buddies. In December 1972 he was co-founder of Disc Village, Inc., in Tallahassee, which services included a full high school education program, vocational training, an on-site “cottage industry,” group, individual, family, and marital counseling, and job development and placement. Phil held the position of Director of Client Services at Disc Village until September 1980. In 1980 he and his wife Becky started Greenspace, a private interior plant maintenance service in Leon County and Wakulla County, which continues to this day. From 1985 through 1990 Phil served as Diabetes Control Program Manager and Health Services and Facilities Coordinator for the Florida Dept. of Health and Rehabilitative Services. While in these positions, he provided HRS liaison to the American Diabetes Association, the Florida Voluntary Health Association, and other organizations related to the needs of patients with diabetes. Later Phil served as Executive Director of The Diabetes Center at Tallahassee Memorial Regional Medical Center, a $1 million per year operation seeing 1,200 new patients per year from over 20 North Florida and South Georgia counties. He was appointed by the governor to The Diabetes Advisory Council from May, 2000, through July, 2003, and continued to serve on various commissions and workgroups in support of diabetic health services in the State of Florida through the years.

Phil was the son of Fred and Elaine Pettijohn, who both passed away in Tallahassee in 2008. He is survived by his wife and best friend of more than 35 years, Georgette “Becky”; his loving son George St. Pierre; his brother Mark; his nephew Fred Clay; his niece Jeanne Marie, and a huge Greek family that he loved as his own.

Phil meant a lot to many people of Tallahassee and will be surely missed by family and friends. We have lost a good one. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to your local Hospice or The Tallahassee Regional Medical Center Foundation for Pediatric Diabetes.

Arrangements are under the direction of Culley's MeadowWood Funeral Home in Tallahassee, Florida.