Betty Gene Phillips was a current resident of East Ridge, Tennessee, passed away April 20, 2026. She was born in Dalton, GA, on July 17, 1935, the only child of Charles Ralph "Buster" and Bessie Thacker Kenemer of Rocky Face, GA.

Betty packed a lot of living into her 90 years. She grew up in the mill village of Dalton before moving with her parents to Rocky Face. Betty graduated from Dalton High School in 1953, where she was always in the center of things and was never at a loss for anything to say. It was there that she met her husband Gordon, the center on the football team. After graduating from high school together, they were married November 25, 1953. They moved into the Little House in Rocky Face, GA, beside her parents house, for 7 years until they saved enough to build their home on White Oak Mountain in Ringgold.

While in high school, she worked at Bravers department store.  After graduating, she went to work at Lee printing company as a proofreader. She then worked at Barwick Mills in Lafayette until she changed jobs to become a stay at home mom for her only child Eric, whom they had after 10 years of marriage. They moved to North Main Street in Lafayette, before moving to Idlewild Drive off Missionary Ridge, so Gordon could go to work for the City of Chattanooga. In 1997, they moved to Sequoia Dive in Brainerd across from the Brainerd United Methodist Church of Chattanooga where they became members. In 2007, they moved to their house on Melville Ave in East Ridge.  Betty was a member of the Ringgold Garden Club. She loved working with ceramics, reading, writing and always traveling with her husband across the country. Betty was a beloved mother, wife and daughter.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband of 67 years, Gordon Wood Phillips.

Betty is survived by her son Gordon Eric Phillips of Woonsocket, RI, and her granddaughter Victoria Alexandria Dell and her husband Garrett Dell of Parrish, FL.

Visitation will be held at Hamilton Funeral Home on Tuesday, April 28, from 4pm until 7pm and resume on Wednesday, April 29, from 1pm until funeral service time at 2pm. Burial will follow at West Hill Cemetery in Dalton, GA where she will be laid to rest with her husband Gordon.