TRAVERSE CITY — Judith Ann Grier Phillips, age 67, passed away Dec. 13, 2014, in Traverse City. She was born in Detroit on Sept. 15, 1947, to William and Ann (Brennan) Grier. On Jan. 8, 1972, in Bloomfield Hills, Judy married Judge Thomas J. "TJ" Phillips.
Judy loved teaching and devoted 25 years to TCAPS, retiring in 2010. She received numerous accolades as a teacher, including an Outstanding Education award and the Liberty Bell award.
Since moving to Traverse City in 1975, Judy was a parishioner and member of Pastoral Council at St. Joseph Catholic Church. Her faith and Irish heritage were very important to her. She was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She was an avid reader and enjoyed politics. But most of all, Judy loved spending time with her family.
In addition to her husband, TJ, Judy is survived by her four children, Ann Brennan (Chris) Beck of Fort Gratiot, Meghan Phillips (Than) Dykstra of Traverse City, Katie Phillips (Patrick) Murphy of Winnetka, Illinois, and Thomas Brennan (Lauren) Phillips of Royal Oak; grandchildren, Ella and William Beck, Emma and Bode Dykstra, and Stella, Declan and Brennan Murphy; mother, Ann Grier of Bloomfield Hills; sister, Carol (Steve) Paul of Beverly Hills, Michigan; brothers, John (Pam) Grier of Royal Oak, William (Kate) Grier of Troy, and Thomas Grier of Traverse City; sisters-in-law, Joan (Gordon) Bahl of Plymouth and Maureen (Michael) Murphy of Des Moines, Iowa; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Judy was preceded in death by her father.
A funeral mass in Judy's memory will be held at 10 a.m., on Friday, Dec. 19, 2014, at St. Joseph Catholic Church. Visitation with a prayer vigil will take place from 4 to 8 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 18, at Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home. The Rosary will be prayed at 7:30 p.m. Burial will be in Oakwood Catholic Cemetery at a later date. Per Judy's wishes, memorial contributions may be directed to the processional cross of St. Joseph Catholic Church at 12675 Center Road, Traverse City, MI 49686 or to IHM Sisters (Retirement Fund) at 610 West Elm Ave., Monroe, MI 48162.