Larkspur Conservation – Nashville, Tennessee

Obituary

MAY 25, 1952 – JUNE 10, 2023

Jennifer Phillips passed away peacefully at home on Saturday morning, June 10th, surrounded by her family. She will be remembered as a friend to all, for her open door and welcoming, loving embrace of all people, her independent adventurous spirit and stubborn drive, her bright smile and colorful impeccable style and as the life of the party and a magnet to children, animals, and all kind-hearted souls. She was on every committee (especially yours) whether you liked it or not, and probably will continue to be, as she continues to watch over us. If you feel an urge to reach out a hand to a stranger, it will most likely be her – telling you to do so. She would give you the shirt right off her back if it would make you more comfortable. To know Jen, is to love her forever.

Born at Fort Sill Army Base, Oklahoma, to Rosalee and Douglas Phillips she was a small-town girl with big dreams and a curious, open mind. She spent her formative years in Jonesboro, Arkansas, where she grew up alternately protecting and terrorizing her younger brother, John, and met her best friends in kindergarten, her beloved “J Girls,” all of whom remain loyally and closely by her side through thick and thin right until the last week she peacefully lost her hard fight with breast cancer in the arms of her beloved, Jerry Shelton.

Jennifer was about “doing good” without any acclaim. She was a tiny woman with a huge spirit who could move mountains. It was the plethora of good things she did that separated her, whether it was anonymously helping someone in need, feeding the birds, recycling, working at The Food Project, signing up as an English as a second language tutor to kids at Eakin Elementary, repurposing floral arrangements from events to deliver to senior living facilities, being a volunteer florist for friends and family weddings or planning the yearly Easter egg hunt for the neighborhood. She had strong values and a sense of unconditional kindness that was truly admirable. Jennifer never expected anything in return but for you to pay it forward.

Jennifer was known by many aliases: “The Mayor” of her neighborhood; The Lil’ General; Jen-Babe; Fer; or most affectionately, so many know her as “Mei Mei,” a name first used by her granddaughter and favorite person on the planet, Marley Rose, and later taken up by eeryone that she added to her family, which to be clear, was anyone she came across. Only one was lucky enough to call her mom, and it is an unexplainable bond that will never be broken on earth, time or space.

After some wild years as a cute lil’ peace loving hippie at The University of Texas in Austin, a stint in Alaska working as a social worker with the indigenous population, and later becoming a mother in Boston, Jen spent decades making her way as a powerful pillar in the Nashville community. She made her way down south as bank teller and worked tirelessly to achieve her goals until her retirement as Director of Marketing and Business Development at Bass, Berry & Sims law firm. While she received countless professional accolades, that’s not what she would want you to know. She would want you to know, but never tell you, that she was the most treasured mother to her daughter, Caitlin, most fun-loving Mei Mei to Marley, best friend to Helene and the J-Girls, a consistently inspiring love to her other half and favorite travel partner, Jerry, the wildest, most devoted daughter and sister to her Phillips family, an unconditionally supportive and crazy (in the best way) “Fer” to her three sweet nephews, a loving second mother to Kinika, and a confidant and favorite person to more people than can be listed here.

Please get your hands full of dirt in the garden, dance on a table (or anywhere), make sure you recycle and compost, get down on the floor to play with the kids, eat pie for breakfast, spoil a dog rotten, be kind to your neighbor, show em’ how to hula hoop, get up in somebody’s business, throw back a stiff “Mei Mei Drink” (that’s a vodka tonic with extra EXTRA lime, grown from her prized fruit trees to be specific) while you tell a wildly exaggerated story… and most of all, love hard on your people – say the thing you need to say, and keep your door open ... all in honor of Jennifer Phillips.

In lieu of flowers, please firmly encourage every woman in your life to get her mammograms and then make a donation in Jennifer’s name to one of the following organizations: 

The Nashville Food Project (www.thenashvillefoodproject.org) : HELP YOUR NEIGHBOR

Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (www.tnimmigrant.org) : AN OPEN DOOR

or the Keep a Breast Foundation (www.keep-a-breast.org): WOMENS HEALTH 

we 

love 

you.