Barry Phillips

   Barry S. Phillips, 77, formerly of Wayne County, passed away on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, in Forest City, North Carolina.

   Barry was born on March 22, 1948, in Albany, Kentucky, the son of James C. and Rita E. Groce Phillips. He grew up in Fountain City, Indiana, and was a proud 1966 graduate of Whitewater–Fountain City High School. From an early age, Barry learned the value of hard work, first working for the Town of Fountain City while still in high school.

   Following graduation, Barry worked at Avco in Richmond, where he held high-level security clearance for top-secret materials. Feeling called to serve his country, he enlisted in the United States Air Force and completed a tour of duty in Vietnam from 1969 to 1970 before receiving his Honorable Discharge.

   On December 8, 1972, Barry married the former Sue Ann White. They shared 53 years of marriage and were blessed with two children.

   Barry was a lifelong entrepreneur and worked hard to provide for his family and any friends in need. He worked as a carpenter and helped build the old Reid Memorial Hospital.

   Barry also worked as an auctioneer for nearly a decade, as a realtor with Lingle Real Estate, and for the Ford Motor Company. His work took him as far as the Gulf of Mexico where he worked on an oil rig for Penrod Oil Company. Along the way, he owned and operated a car wash, a laundromat, a restaurant in Hagerstown, and a mobile pressure washing business.

   An innovator at heart, Barry operated a mobility-assist company, Wheelchair Getaways, and founded Phillips Lift Systems, Inc. Through his work, he developed, patented, and manufactured an electric toilet lift and other products, earning three United States patents—achievements that reflected both his creativity and his desire to help others live more independently.

   Barry also held a private pilot’s license and loved flying, boating, and spending time traveling with his family.

   In 2006, Barry moved to South Carolina, where he enjoyed retirement after selling his business in 2016. His final home was built on a private airstrip where he could watch planes take off and land every day. He also spent winters in North Port, Florida, continuing to embrace life with energy and enthusiasm.

   Barry will be deeply missed by his wife, Sue; son and daughter-in-law, Corby and Amber Phillips; daughter and son-in-law, Cassie and Bruce Laudermilk; granddaughters, Olivia, Avery, Violet, Ivy, Peyton, and Blakely; half-sister, Tonya Grether; niece, Tammy Pinson, and many additional nieces and nephews.

   Visitation for Barry will be held from 12 to 2 p.m. on January 8, 2026 at Smith-McQuiston & Webster Funeral Home, 321 South U.S. 27, Fountain City.

   Military honors and burial with the immediate family will follow the visitation at Willow Grove Cemetery.

   In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions to the Wounded Warrior Project are welcome.