John "Rick" Phillips, 61, of Marshall, Texas was born on August 20, 1963, in Bossier City, Louisiana to John Lester Phillips II and Mary May, the youngest of three children.

He graduated from Bossier High School before he enlisted in the Navy in 1981, with the Nuclear Reactor Program. He was on a fast attack submarine called the USS Ray and the last ship was the John F. Kennedy. After serving 20 years in the Navy, he switched to the Army and served another 13-1/2 years. Two days before leaving for a 13-month deployment to Afghanistan in 2007, he married his sweetheart, Kim and moved to Marshall from Shreveport in 2008. He attended Summit Methodist Church and formally Cumberland Presbyterian Church of Marshall.

He was preceded in death by his parents, John Lester Phillips II and Mary May and brother-in-law, Andrew Cochran.

He is survived by his wife, Kimberly Phillips of Marshall; children, Joshua Phillips of Marshall; stepdaughters, Korene Propes and husband, Shane and Reagan Johnson and boyfriend, Baltazar Santiago all of Marshall; sister, Margo Hodges and husband, Tim of Bossier City; brother, Scott Phillips and wife, Ruthie of Shreveport; grandchildren, Parker Watson, Leigh Watson and Alec Castillo all of Marshall; father-in-law, Leonard Mercer and wife, Dottie of Waskom; sisters-in-law, Kelly Browning and husband, David of Marshall and Mindy Cochran of Waskom along with several nieces and nephews and other family and friends.

We would like to extend a special thank you to Willis-Knighton North SICU for all of the care that was given to Rick, Kim and family.

Services will be held at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, August 26, 2025, at Summit Methodist Church in Marshall. Interment will follow at Scottsville Cemetery in Scottsville, Texas. A visitation for family and friends will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Monday, August 25, 2025, at Downs Funeral Home.