William Rowles Phillips

William Rowles Phillips, of Glen Mills, passed away on March 4. He had just celebrated his 95th birthday.

Bill was born in Chester to the late Lillian Rowles and D. Claude Phillips. He attended Chester Schools and Millersville University. He enlisted in the Army for three years with the 69th Infantry Division and was at the Battle of the Bulge. He married his high school sweetheart, Joyce Helen Leet, and they shared 70 years of marriage.

Bill and Joyce lived together in Swarthmore for 35 years and raised two children. Bill was a member of the Swarthmore volunteer fire company and served as its president. He was appointed to the Swarthmore Police Commission and was a member of the Swarthmore Presbyterian Church, where he worked the annual Fall Fair seafood booth. He also served on the Liberty Bell Commission in Philadelphia.

Bill was employed by South Chester Tube Company and helped start a new company, Southco Inc., which is now worldwide. He was responsible for building the company’s plant in Concordville, on Brinton Lake Road, which is now its world headquarters. When Bill retired, he moved to Vero Beach, Florida, where his activities included Rotary International, the Navy League, and the Boating League. He was a life member of the Masonic Order, a member of the Shrine, a member of the Battle of the Bulge Association, the 69th Infantry Division Association, and a Life and Honorary Member of the Swarthmore Fire and Protective Association. He was also a member of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, Delaware.

Missing family and grandchildren, Bill and Joyce decided to move back to the north and returned to Delaware County’s Maris Grove in 2006. In 2016, they moved to Virginia.

Bill is survived by his daughter, Carolyn Phillips Erbaugh, of Fredericksburg, Virginia; three grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Bill was predeceased by Joyce in 2019, and his son Richard L. Phillips, of Cedar Crest, New Jersey, in 2016.

Private burial services are to be held at Chester Rural Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Swarthmore Fire and Protective Association, P.O. Box 261, Swarthmore, PA 19081, or a charity of one’s choice.