David Anthony Phillips

David Anthony Phillips was born on March 28, 1938 to Pleasant Anthony (PA) and Bessie Marie Phillips on a farm where DFW Airport now operates. There was not much around in those days. He attended Coppell schools until high school when he attended Carrollton High School where he graduated. Coppell ISD did not have a high school in those days. Interestingly, his two sons and his four grandchildren attended elementary school on the same campus in Coppell.

After his wild car club days he married Betty Ruth Moseley in 1957. They built their home in Coppell in the Phillips Compound that was on Coppell Road just north of the thriving metropolis of downtown Coppell, now affectionately known as Old Town Coppell. His parents had previously built their home there and two of his three sisters also built their houses in the Compound. There David and Betty raised their two children, Clay and Don.

Their home was always the place where family and friends gathered, usually something or someone’s associated with the church. Whether it was Sunday dinner after church with the pastor and his family, many wedding and baby showers or their card and domino clubs, people were always doing something there. And the New Year’s Eve parties……legendary!

David built a career in the home building and carpentry industries. There was nothing he could not do with wood. He worked with his father for years. Today there are homes still in Coppell that they built.

He was a thinker and tinkerer who later invented and patented several things, including a tool used in construction, a speed loader used by air rifle competition enthusiasts and a gun stock design that could be used on any long rifle or shotgun. He worked on the production of the latter two, first in his workshop in Coppell that was located at their home immediately behind their church and later in his workshop at their Canton residence. This occupied a good bit of his time.

David might be known to some here today as the “BlackBerry Patch Man” as he had several acres of blackberries on his property behind the church. For years school children had field trips to the blackberry patch to learn about growing, picking, and more importantly, eating the berries. The family still meets people today who either visited the patch themselves as children or have children that did.

David was also helpful in the rapid growth of Coppell ushered in by the development of DFW Airport. He was known to say “look, Coppell is going to grow. We can either manage it or we can get run over by it.” He served on the City Council during these formative times in the early to mid 70’s.

Most significantly, David and Betty were secure in their faith in Jesus. He taught Sunday School for many, many years in Coppell then in Canton, basically until he could no longer do so. He served as a Deacon in First Baptist Church, Coppell, now Gracepoint until moving to Canton where he also served as a deacon in First Baptist, Canton.

David is preceded in death by his parents, Pleasant and Bessie Phillips; wife, Betty Phillips; and sister, Wanda Parrish. He is survived by his two sons and their wives: Clay and Terry Phillips and Don and Kym Phillips; four grandchildren and their spouses: Paige Cherry and Randall, David Phillips, II and Carolyn, Dr. Kyle Phillips and Taylor, and Jessica Lynch and J.T.; six great-grandchildren: Olivia Hopkins, Landry Hopkins, Liam Lynch, Remi Lynch, Crew Phillips and Charlie Phillips; and two sisters: Daisy Francis and Janet Maples.

A memorial service will be held at 10:45 am Tuesday, December 19, 2023 at Grace Point Church in Coppell with a visitation from 9:30 to 10:40 am. A graveside service will be held at 3 pm Tuesday at Haven of Memories Memorial Park in Canton. The family would like to invite everyone to attend either service.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Diabetes Association P.O. Box 7023 Merrifield, VA 22116-7023. Any floral donations may be sent to Eubank Funeral Home in Canton to be displayed at the graveside service.