Sara Phillips

SARA CATHEY PHILLIPS

Sara Cathey Phillips, born May 26, 1925, died peacefully on July 3, 2025 in Gainesville, Florida. She was 100 years old.

A native of Candler, North Carolina, Sara was the daughter of the late Kenneth and Pauline (Shook) Cathey. She was preceded in death by her husband, Roy D. Phillips, Sr; three sisters, Frances Brookshire, Ruth Brookshire, and Hilda Digges; and three brothers, Joe, James (Dock), and George Allen Cathey.

Sara was a graduate of Candler High School and North Carolina Baptist Hospital School of Nursing in Winston Salem, NC. A registered nurse and member of the American Red Cross Nurses Association, she was qualified as a disaster nurse working in Asheville during the polio disaster at Thoms Rehabilitation (Asheville Orthopedic Home), local hospitals, and private duty nursing. She was a member of Beta Sigma Phi Sorority, American Nurses Association, The American Red Cross, High Vista Country Club, and a long-time member of Snow Hill United Methodist Church in Candler, NC.

Sara is survived by a son, Roy D. Phillips, Jr.; a daughter, Paula (Karl Hastay) Phillips; four grandchildren, Michael (Debbie), Matthew (Bethany) and Gregory Phillips, and Audrey Eagle; and four great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held graveside at Snow Hill United Methodist Church on Saturday, July 26, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. with a reception to follow in the church’s community center. Reverend Tom Hunter will preside.

Messages of sympathy may be shared on Sara’s online tribute page at www.themastersfuneralhome.com.

Funeral arrangements in North Carolina are provided by Groce Funeral Home. Masters Funeral Home of Palatka is assisting the family locally.