Nancy Phillips of Batesville passed away on Saturday, October 5th, 2024, at the age of 72. She was preceded in death by her husband of 45 years, Kim Phillips, parents Terral and Ruth Kirkpatrick, and sister Debbie Wilson (Stan). She is survived by her daughter Holly Phillips, son Shane Phillips (Joany), granddaughters Alora and Zoe Lowry, grand-puppy Lucy, brothers Jimmy (Andrea) and Brent (Rhonda) Kirkpatrick, nephews Adam and James (Becky) Wilson, great-nephews Oliver and Victor Wilson, and great-nieces Stormy and Oakley Wilson, and the “best dog in the whole world” Winnie Bago.
Nancy was born in Benton, Arkansas, and grew up on the family dairy farm. Growing up she loved playing softball and the music of the Beatles. In fact, she was, perhaps, the only person not related to him to claim Ringo Starr as her favorite Beatle. She attended Bryant High School and later Harding College. She worked for many years at the Wal-Mart in Benton prior to getting married and moving to Batesville.
Nancy met her future husband, Kim, in 1979. Nancy and Kim were introduced by Nancy’s sister Debbie and brother-in-law Stan. Kim was a co-worker of Stan’s, and Stan invited Kim to ride to Benton with him when he went to pick up Debbie from a visit to her parents. To quote Kim, “No one mentioned Debbie had a sister.” A month later, they were married.
Nancy worked briefly for the Wal-Mart in Batesville prior to having children. She was a stay-at-home mom until both of her kids were in school. For many years after that, she ran a babysitting business in her home and bonded deeply with the children she cared for. In later years she would work for Essie’s Gift Shop, Price Chopper, another stint with Wal-Mart, and Wilson’s Pharmacy.
Nancy was a loving wife and mother. She was a lifelong diehard Chicago Cubs baseball fan and even had a personalized CUBS license plate for many years. She was an avid television watcher throughout the years, watching a variety of shows from Days of Our Lives to M*A*S*H to NCIS (and its many spinoffs). She liked to read and preferred non-fiction, with a particular interest in reading about the history of the Vietnam War. Nancy loved music, from the Beatles and Dave Clark Five growing up, to country music acts such as Billy Dean, Collin Raye, and Billy Ray Cyrus as an adult, with an occasional side of Meat Loaf and other unexpected artists. She also enjoyed NASCAR. She was a longtime member of the Harrison Street Church of Christ in Batesville.
Nancy was known for her kindness and generosity. She sent cards for every occasion, wrote letters, and bought gifts for an extensive circle of family, friends, and acquaintances. Nancy also loved and cared for animals and retained the family habit of taking in strays that she learned on the dairy growing up. For many years, she had a house full of cats, while also feeding additional strays, raccoons, the occasional possum, and other assorted wildlife from her backyard. With this in mind, the family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the local Humane Society.
No public service is planned. The family will have a private burial service at a later date. Friends and family can leave messages on the online guest book on the Arkansas Cremation website.
