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Phyllis Marie Benefield Whitlock, 69, of Taylorsville Mississippi, passed away at her home on August 24, 2025. Visitation will be held on Friday, August 29, 2025 from 9:00 A.M. until 11:00 A.M. at First Baptist Church Taylorsville. Funeral services will be held on Friday, August 29, 2025 at 11:00 A.M. at First Baptist Church Taylorsville. Burial will follow in Fellowship Cemetery in Taylorsville, Mississippi. Dr. Frankie Clark will officiate. Colonial Chapel Funeral Home of Taylorsville is in charge of arrangements. 601-785-6564.
Phyllis was born on November 28, 1955, in Roanoke Randolph County, Alabama to James and Margaret Virginia Starr Benefield.
Phyllis is survived by her husband, Rev. Randy Whitlock, mother and sister Elizabeth Starr Arthur of Collierville, Tennessee, daughters Allison Elaine Spradley (Shon) of Soso, MS, and Amanda Joy Whitlock of Cordova, TN. Phyllis leaves six grandchildren, Grace Wheat (Will), Isaiah, Olivia, Elijah, Luke, and Meredith. She is also survived by three nieces. Dawn Ford Muench, Hattiesburg, MS, Robyn Ford Townsend, Sharpsburg, GA, and April Ford McCann, Cookeville, TN and nephew Scott Arthur, Collierville, TN.
She is predeceased by her father, Rev. James Benefield and two sisters, Wanda Elaine Laton, and Gretta Ann Benefield.
Phyllis attended Brewton High School, Brewton Alabama. She is an alumni of Clarke College in Newton, Mississippi, where she was a member of the Clarke singers and later traveled with the Maranatha singers.
Randy and Phyllis were married in 1974 by her father, Rev. Benefield, in Meridian, MS.
After he graduated William Carey College, Randy and Phyllis began a life of evangelical and music ministry that would include all the family in later years. Phyllis loved music, wrote songs, played the guitar, and later with her husband, recorded an album, “Teach Me to Love.” Much later she took some of her songs to Nashville, but God decided to bless them back “home.”
In 1983 Phyllis earned a Assoc in Technology Degree for LPN from Jones County Junior College and worked as a speech therapist assistant for special needs children. Her beautiful face and laughter could light up a room and charm the children, especially when she played the guitar and sang. She could be the catalyst for the big family clown acts or the many talent shows at July 4 dinners or Christmas Eve celebrations.
After spending most of Randy’s ministry years in Mississippi, Phyllis was happy to be close to her grandchildren and two sisters in Memphis. She enjoyed the Precept Bible Classes by Kay Arthur and traveled to Chattanooga, TN with the family for conferences. Phyllis had many health challenges during the latter part of her life. But her faith in God never wavered. She believed that “God had allowed her suffering for her good and His purposes,” as well as those observing her life. She loved to listen to Bible lessons by Alistair Begg and then have long discussions about them with her husband and sister. They eventually retired and moved to Taylorsville in 2021.
Phyllis saw her 95 year old mother on July 26, 2025, and they said their last goodbye on this side of eternity.
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