Funeral services for Thomas Lamont Phillips, 79, will be held at 2:00PM on January 8, 2026, at Trinity Methodist Church in Ruston, LA. Visitation will be prior to the service from 12:00 to 2:00PM in the church sanctuary. Interment will be a private family burial at Kilpatrick Memorial Gardens under the direction of Kilpatrick Funeral Homes of Ruston.
Tommy was born on April 19, 1946, in Ruston, LA, to Bettye Thomas Phillips and Crawford Lamont Phillips of Ruston, LA. He passed away peacefully in his home during the early hours of January 4, 2026, following an eleven-year battle with cancer.
Tommy was a member of Trinity Methodist Church, where he served on the Board of Trustees, including one year as Chairman, and was a member of the Upper Room Sunday School class.
He graduated from Ruston High School in 1964, where he served as Student Council President his senior year.
Tommy graduated from Louisiana Tech University in 1968, earning a bachelor’s degree in Business Management. He was a member of the Epsilon Gamma Chapter of Kappa Sigma fraternity.
After graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and later completed Infantry Officer Candidate School in Ft. Benning, GA, graduating 7th in his class. After OCS, he became company commander of a basic combat training company in Ft. Polk, LA. Tommy then served in Korea where he received the Army Commendation medal and was promoted to First Lieutenant. After military service, he moved to Houston, Texas, where he worked as a salesman for Armor Dial for the next 3 years. In 1973, he returned to Ruston to join the family business, National Jewelry Company.
Tommy married fellow Ruston native Janet Thurmon on August 24, 1974. They were married for 51 years and together had three children, Dr. Michael Shane Phillips, Ruston; Ashley Phillips Smith, Atlanta, GA; and Elizabeth Phillips Trapp, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.
Tommy was a member of Ruston Jaycees and the Rotary Club of Ruston. He served on the Ruston Industrial Development Board and also served two terms on the Board of Directors at Cedar Creek School. He was a member of L.I.N.K.S. Men’s Bible Study group, which meets weekly at Squire Creek.
Tommy and his brother, Kenny, along with their parents, owned and operated National Jewelry Company for over fifty years. Originally strictly a wholesale business, the Phillips family also established a successful fine jewelry retail business of the same name.
Ever the extrovert, Tommy loved organizing and attending reunions with his high school class, Kappa Sigma brothers, Army buddies and extended family members. He was an avid Louisiana Tech fan and supporter and attended La. Tech sports events as long as his health allowed.
Tommy and Janet also loved to travel and visited over 36 countries and 45 states in the United States.
More than anything, Tommy was proud of his three children and all of his grandchildren. He was their biggest cheerleader and derived no greater joy than witnessing their development and accomplishments. He was a sage advice-giver and world-class motivator, a cherished role recognized by family and friends near and far.
Tommy is preceded in death by his parents, Lamont and Bettye Phillips; paternal grandparents, Johnny and Beadie Phillips; and maternal grandparents, Samuel M. and Dora Thomas. Tommy is survived by his wife, Janet Thurmon Phillips; son, Dr. Shane Phillips; daughters, Ashley Phillips Smith (Ben) and Elizabeth Phillips Trapp (Josh); his grandchildren, Beau and Emma Phillips; Carter and Caroline Smith; and Thomas, Anne Whitten and Tanner Trapp. He also is survived by his brother Kenny Phillips (Terri) and their children Kim Phillips McCready and Doug Phillips; his brother-in-law, Scott Thurmon, and many other family members and numerous friends.
Pallbearers will be Mickey Mays, James Florence, Hollis Downs, Dicky Nealy, John Austin, Dud Holland, Jerome Vascocu, Ronnie LeBlanc and Paul McCormack.
Honorary Pallbearers are Bob Neely, Jim Hough, Randy Ewing, Terry Ewing, Ben Haddox, Scott Walker, Robert Brown, Frank Johnson and the L.I.N.K.S. Bible Study Group.
The Phillips family would like to thank Dr. Will Sanders, Dr. David Osafo, Dr. Ray Germany, Tommy’s entire care team and staff at M.D. Anderson Medical Center in Houston, Texas, the team at Premiere Hospice, including Amy Vance and Kim Roberson, as well as Kimberly Benton of Benton Care, LLC. The family also wishes to extend special thanks to family and friends who gave their unwavering support throughout Tommy’s long cancer battle.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Louisiana Tech University Foundation, Thomas L. Phillips Family Endowed Scholarship (memo line) in the College of Business at Louisiana Tech University, P.O. Box 1190, Ruston, LA 71273, or online at https://www.latechalumni.org/phillipsfamilyscholarship.
