- Date Of Birth: March 21, 1931
- Date Of Death: April 10, 2016
- State: Georgia
Helen Elizabeth Phillips Neely, age 85, died peacefully on Sunday, April 10. She was surrounded by her adoring family and lifted by the love of all who ever knew her.
Helen was born on the first day of Spring, March 21, 1931, in the tiny town of Richton, Mississippi. Her proud and happy parents were Marguerite and Alton Knox Phillips. She was their first child, and the first grandchild of a large and doting Phillips family! She prayed for 10 years for siblings, and was finally blessed with a beautiful sister, Charlene, and a precious brother, Knox. It was her classic Southern upbringing that planted the seeds of that generous spirit of hospitality that blessed so many.
Helen’s one true romantic love was Kenneth Irl Neely Sr., whom she met at the tender age of 12, and went on to marry exactly 65 years ago. With her beloved Kenneth came motherhood, which was her life’s joy and her spiritual calling. She raised a family of 5 boisterous children while moving state to state, house to house, but always creating “home” along the way. She resided in Stone Mountain, Georgia for 35 years and spent her remaining years in Cumming, Georgia. Helen was the quintessential Mama – warm, sweet, soft, and welcoming. Food became the most famous expression of her unconditional love, and she fed many of us in her lifetime.
