Ray Phillipps Obituary

On June 29, 2025 Ray Phillipps was taken home, much sooner than expected, to be with his loved ones on the other side. Ray was born on February 19, 1937 to Harold and Leah Phillipps. He was the middle child and was raised in Holladay, Utah. He had a charming childhood with open fields, horses, indoor plumbing, stores, and a movie theater. His parents had some land and many animals, he would often make the animals his pets and would give them names. He spoke of many favorite pets that were eventually selected for dinner. (Which of course broke his heart.) Ray had a love for all animals and was a self made veterinarian. He was able to save many farm animals and beloved pets from injuries that would have otherwise died. Many family pets would know when he was pulling into their driveway and would run right for his lap. They will miss his gentle hands petting them and feeding them a treat. 

Ray grew up in a home with examples of entrepreneurship. His father was an expert candy maker, making their families secret recipes, or any other type of candy you could imagine. Some of which included clear toy, suckers, taffy, marshmallows, delicious pecan logs, cherry cordials, and of course the exquisite Phillipps Master Craft chocolates, with the most divine cream centers. Ray was always involved with helping his family. He was only 12 when his father passed away, but he had been taught how to make those recipes to help his mother and siblings continue on with the family business. Leah, his mother, was able to maintain their property and provide income for her young family with the candy shop and apartments they had built on their land. Ray had always admired the hard work his mother and father put into that property. He took pride in knowing that he would do anything his mother asked of him throughout her life. In doing that, he expected the same from those closest to him. He believed that working hard as a family unit and having friendships with others to trade their goods made the world go round. 

Ray played football at Olympus High school. After graduation, while accompanying his friend to a football tryout at Utah State he was snatched up and asked to play for their team! That lit a fire under him to become a professional football player. However, one Sunday when he came home to visit his mom, his bishop called him to his office to ask him to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Ray decided he could sacrifice two years to serve a mission. However, when his mission call came, he had been assigned to the North East Asia Mission for 3 years. He took a boat for 3 weeks and spent 3 years in Japan. He loved his mission and was able to learn and speak the language with all the correct pronunciations, just as a native. It was a defining time in his life. 

After Ray returned from his mission, he went back to school at Utah State. He would come home to Holladay frequently. One of those times, he went to a dance and ended up meeting his soon to be wife Aloa. After he courted her for a while, he knew Aloa wanted a more secure income so he got a job selling cars to prove he could be the provider she needed. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple on May 31, 1962. But as he grew up watching his parents, he knew he liked having freedom and being his own boss. Ray was a self-employed perfectionist. In his world a job was not worth doing unless it was done to his meticulous standard. This is worth noting because at times he would procrastinate starting a job, making people wait a little longer than expected for their landscaping to get done. No matter how frustrated they got, they would wait for Ray to come because he did such beautiful work. There are still many beautiful landscapes to be seen in Holladay from him and his sons’ hard work. Ray focused on landscaping, snow removal, and at one time opening and closing graves with his friend at Holladay Cemetery. Later in life he took over the family business of making Phillipps Chocolates and was fortunate enough to take on the endeavor of purchasing land and business properties.

Ray was a beloved father to eight living children, and two stillborn sons that he missed terribly in this mortal life. He taught them to serve others, care for the poor, work hard, be self-reliant, and endure to the end. He enjoyed singing hymns and primary songs to his kids to help teach a lesson or to help them overcome sadness and discouragement. Count your Many Blessings was one he often sang. For a time he attended the temple regularly and enjoyed doing family genealogy. He provided many father blessings and baptized all his children, including some of his grandchildren. He taught his children to work hard and that any job worth doing was worth doing right!  Ray had big expectations for his children, and he would teach and reteach so things were done the way he thought best.  Ray had a big bite for the small stuff, like using too much tape, being wasteful, and cutting vegetables the wrong way. But he was always composed with a level head for the big and terrible things you would do. He was a big teddy bear when it mattered most. 

Ray took his family on many camping trips when he had young children, he loved riding horses up the mountain He loved hunting, fishing, and driving a tractor. He took his children on tractor rides and to do work in his dump truck, often for hours at a time. He loved taking the family to get an ice cream cone and then go for long drives to look at land for sale and see the beautiful earth around him. Ray and Aloa enjoyed celebrating holidays. They always made them magical for their children. He made delicious meals and never needed a recipe to know what spices to use to make food taste good. If one onion was good, three were better. He knew how to make food for the masses. It was important for him to have a strong family unit. Sundays were always dedicated to his kids and grandkids with food, visiting, and games. He made certain to buy enough delicious food every Saturday to keep everyone coming to his house. He could always pick out the most delicious watermelon by thumping it to hear just the right hollow sound. To his chagrin he wasn’t able to teach any of his kids that special gift of hearing the right “thump”. We are sure we will miss out on some delicious watermelon without him picking them for our family gatherings.

Ray loved his friends, ultimately they became family to him. He would spend a lot of time working with his friends, helping them with their projects, and getting help in return. He always loved a good trade. He believed his word was his bond, and he trusted others would do the same. When he was working he always enjoyed someone by his side. He enjoyed gathering on Tuesday mornings for fishing or going to breakfast with his childhood friends, up until this last year. 

Ray loved gardening and farming, and his soil was impeccable. His dream was to have a big enough farm for all his posterity. Working, living, gardening and farming. This included raising and butchering livestock to be completely self-sufficient and to live off the land. He was still searching for the perfect dry farm in the weeks before his accident.

Ray loved serving others, he had many church callings, often teaching the challenging youth in Sunday School. And his most favorite calling, the ward preparedness leader. He was personally prepared to feed his entire ward and family if there ever became a need. He never had too much of anything he found value in. Later in life, he was able to serve a senior mission with Aloa in Sendai, Japan, where he still remembered Japanese. He served the young adults and newly baptized members of the church. They hosted Family Home Evening and many other activities throughout the week. With the knack he had in preparing for emergencies, he already had a stockpile of food. Toward the end of their mission Aloa didn’t know what they would do with all his stockpile when they were released. What a blessing this ended up being to help feed the people of Sendai when the tragic Tsunami hit. They experienced many miracles and were happy to provide food, when it was scarce to find, for their beloved Japanese family. 

Many will miss his compassionate heart and willingness to help those in need. He often invited people in his home that needed a place to stay. He found work for abled bodies, and couldn’t pass a beggar on the street without giving them something. His heart strings were pulled by all the suffering in the world, as he would sign up to support those in need from any tv commercials asking for help. Because of this, he was committed to many monthly donations. He lived knowing where much is given, much is expected. Ray never lacked, and was always provided for. Everyone who knew him loved being around him and hearing his stories. He had a knack for making friends wherever he went and made an impression on everyone he talked to. There are not many people in Holladay who he doesn’t know or who doesn’t know him. 

Ray is preceded in death by his wife, Aloa Rogers Phillipps. Children; Clinton and Cameron. Grandchild, Jamison Mayer, parents, Harold Edward Phillipps and Leah May Wilcox Phillipps, siblings Avon (Jim) Stoll and Hal Phillipps. He is survived by his siblings: Sheila Hirschi, Gary Phillipps, and Diana (Robert) Larson, his children: Craig (Robin) Phillipps, Cindy (Dale) Anderson, Candice (Doug) Vejnar, Celeste (Dominic) Mayer, Clayton (Rachel) Phillipps, Curt Phillipps, Camille (Joseph) Lummus, and Cherice (Efrain) Mendez. He has 53 grandchildren (nine by marriage) and 10 great grandchildren. He is also survived by countless projects and treasures for his children to remember him for years to come.

On Sunday, July 13, 2025 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm there will be a viewing at Broomhead Funeral Home located at 12600 South 2200 West, Riverton UT 84065. On Monday, July 14th in the Cottonwood 10th Ward, located at 1750 E Spring Lane, Holladay UT 84117, there will be a viewing from 12- 1:30 pm and funeral services will start at 2:00pm. Dedication of the grave will take place at 4:00 pm in the Holladay Memorial Cemetery on 4900 S Memory Ln, Salt Lake City UT 84117.

Service Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/94920147074?pwd=dLCZwDi1daQv5Za944X8pUOqVI5nMZ.1 

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