Henry Whit Phillips Jr.

He was born in rural northeast Texas on June 11, 1924 to parents Henry Whit, Sr., and Della

Mae Phillips. Raised as an only child during the hard times of the Great Depression, Whit helped his parents around their small grocery store and butcher shop, learning the values of perseverance,

hard work, and education. He completed high school at age 16 and left home to enroll in Texas A&M University as a member of the Corps of Cadets.

After two years at Texas A&M, his formal education was interrupted when the entire Junior

Class deployed to Europe as infantry in World War II. Having achieved marksman status at

A&M, he was placed on the front lines where he was wounded three times, subsequently being

awarded three Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star Medal for his valiant service.

The Bronze Star Medal citation reads in part:

“Private First Class Henry W. Phillips, Jr., Infantry, Company “B”, 411th Regiment.

Under the provision of AR 600-45, 22 September 1943, as amended, you are awarded the

Bronze Star Medal for heroism in action.

During the daylight hours of 14 December, 1944, in the vicinity of Wissembourg, Germany,

Private Phillips, advancing in a forward position...was pinned to the ground by well concealed

machine gun fire. Not knowing the location of the hostile gun, Private Phillips fired on the

possible location of the enemy position and immediately received a burst of machine gun

fire...Despite his wounds and the accuracy of the enemy fire, he, with utter disregard for his life,

courageously exchanged fire with the hostile position although bursts of enemy fire twice sent

his helmet spinning to the ground. Determining the location of the enemy, he withdrew …

Undeterred, he crawled on with his information, reaching his platoon leader. As a result of

Private Phillips’ magnificent valor, the company, informed of the location, brought mortar fire to

bear on the hostile position successfully destroying it.”

At the end of WW II, he returned to Texas A&M and had the good fortune of meeting with famed

architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, who noted in a conversation with Whit, “you are the one.”

Inspired by this, Whit went on to earn a Bachelor of Architecture from the university.

Upon leaving the university, he briefly designed aircraft parts but he wanted to do more

architecture rather than mechanical engineering, so he worked for small architectural firms in

the Dallas, TX, and Albuquerque, NM, areas.

In the early 1950s, he accepted a job as an architect with the State of Texas Department of

Health in Austin, overseeing the distribution of the Hill-Burton Funds allocated for hospital

construction throughout the state.

During this time he began raising a family of three girls. He was offered a position at the

prestigious architectural firm, Page Southerland Page Architects (the oldest architectural firm in

Texas), which is renowned for its part in the design and construction of the Texas State Capitol

in the 1880s. Whit specialized in the design of hospitals, designing them in Texas, the United

States and abroad. He also designed the Ohio State College of Medicine. Additionally, he

designed several US military medical facilities, most notably what is now known as Wilford Hall

Ambulatory Surgical Center at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX. One of his major

clients was the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word which is now part of Christus Health.

Retiring in 1987, he and his wife, Dotty Phillips, relocated to Las Colinas in Irving, TX. From

there they continued to travel all over the world, visiting more than 108 countries.

Whit was preceded in death by his parents Henry, Sr. and Della Mae Phillips, daughter Deedie

Arnold, and stepson Steve Duke.

He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Dorothy M. Phillips, daughters Elizabeth and Debra

Phillips, stepdaughter Cheri Yori, son-in-law Robert Arnold, grandchildren Kia and Jordan

Huggins, Isral Christopher and Jivka Duke, Stephani Yori, Melissa and Kevin Martin, Phillip Yori,

and great grandchildren Colton Allen, Brodie and Lilly Huggins, and Zoe Martin.

A memorial will be held at a later date in Fort Worth, TX. In lieu of flowers, donations can be

made to the Salvation Army or Community Hospice of Fort Worth Texas.