Joyce E. Phillips

Joyce Ann Tillman Phillips was born to Lewis Collins and Willie Lee Walker on March 15, 1959, in Frost, Texas.  She was later adopted by Roberta Tillman Shaw in Amarillo, Texas.

Joyce attended Glenwood Elementary, Bowie Jr High and Caprock High School.  Joyce joined and was baptized at Greater Mount Olive Baptist Church under the leadership of Rev. P. E. Armstrong.  Later she united with Pentecostal COGIC.  She was a devoted mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend.  Her soft voice and smile would light up a room when she entered.  Joyce was a hard worker and it was important to her to provide for her family.  Working for what you want was instilled in her and all her siblings at an early age.  When asked why she worked so hard, she replied often, “If you want nice things you got to work for them.  Madear (Mama Shaw) always told us that if you don’t work you don’t eat and I love to eat.”

Joyce worked for Popeye, AISD, Tyson in Amarillo for 11 years, then moved to Swift in Cactus where she worked for 14 years until her health began to fail and she retired. She had a love for music and dancing.

Joyce is preceded in death by her parents, Lewis Collins and Willie Lee Walker, her adopted parents William and Roberta Tillman Shaw, son Michael Tillman, brother Lewis Collins, sisters, Zettie Collins and Pauline Walton.

She leaves to carry on her legacy in love, a son Kizeria Tillman of Amarillo, daughter Tonya Tillman of Dallas, brother Eddie Collins, Amarillo; sisters Carolyn McNeary and Trudy (Don) Woods, Marie Sherwood, Mary Penns of Amarillo; Helen (Robert) Moore of DeSoto, Loraine (Jasper) of Oklahoma City, OK; brothers, Rogers (Wilma) Tillmon, L. T. Tillmon of L. A. California, Robert (Linda) of Lubbock, and Joe Tillmon of Pampa, 7 grandchildren (the love of her life) and host of nephews, nieces and friends.

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