Mark is survived by his wife, Della Phillips; their son Christopher Phillips (Amanda) of Hutto, Texas; their daughter Amber Stager of Lumberton, Texas; their step-sister Debra Wright of Beaumont, Texas; their sister Lori Hurst (Kevin) of Martindale, Texas; their granddaughter Emorie Phillips, their grandson Brenden Fenter, their granddaughter Braelyn Fenter, their granddaughter Blaycie Fenter and their granddaughter Adelie Stager.
Mark was preceded in death by their step-father Jack Wright and their mother Lynn Felder Wright; their grandson Gabriel Stone.
Mark loved his family and would be willing to help tackle a project, or teach you how to do it yourself. Many weekends were spent at the beach, fishing the intracoastal canal from a pontoon boat. Followed by a couple hours of cleaning fish and feeding birds from the dock. He was a eclectic collector of movies and loved nothing more than to torture his family with a ridiculous "new movie" he found. He was the source of many deep sighs/eye rolls/head shakes/and laughs.
Mark retired from Beaumont Fire Department after 33 years of service. He dedicated his free time to rescue diving and teaching others. Mark built the course material that has become a standard for new training in Public Safety Diving. His goal was to make sure anyone who went in the water, made it back safely. The reach he had through his passion for diving has brought his name, service, and memory to many different countries around the world.
A a gathering of family and friends for Mark will be held Sunday, July 9, 2023 from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM at Forest Lawn Funeral Home & Memorial Park, 4955 Pine Street, Beaumont, Texas 77703, followed by a a celebration of mark's life at 2:00 PM.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.forestlawnmpfh.com for the Phillips family.
