Clarence Phillips, 78, a longtime resident of Dumfries, Va., died Saturday, April 23, 2016, at Inova Fairfax Hospital due to cardiac failure.
He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Mona (Holtsclaw) Phillips; son, Edward Phillips; daughter, Sheila (Phillips) Van Schoick; sister, Geraldine (Phillips) Pearce; grandchildren, Emma Phillips, Justin Van Schoick and Matt Van Schoick; and four great-grandchildren, Kyle, Avery, Bree and Violet Van Schoick.
Clarence was born on August 7, 1937, in Johnston County, N.C., the son of Clarence and Matilda (Brown) Phillips. He was raised by humble means, the son of a tobacco sharecropper. For 38 years Clarence worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, both at the FBI Headquarters and the FBI Academy where he retired in 1994. As a trusted leader in his field, Clarence became the President of the International Association for Identification from 1986-1987. Always known to be a tireless worker, he joined the private sector at Printrak International where he stayed for 17 years until his second retirement in 2011.
Clarence enjoyed spending time with family and friends, singing, and volunteering at Triangle Baptist Church where he attended for over 20 years and served as a Deacon until his passing. Clarence was humble, selfless, joyful, witty, generous and full of class. He will be deeply missed by many.
A funeral service will be held on Saturday, April 30, at 11 a.m. at Triangle Baptist Church, 4345 Inn Street, Triangle, VA 22172. The family will be receiving visitors on Friday, April 29, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the same location. In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made to The American Diabetes Association: Diabetes.org/donate or to Triangle Baptist Church.