COLUMBUS
Wendy Wilkins Phillips, 63, a much-loved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, passed away on December 20, 2018 in Columbus.
She grew up in Munster, IN, spent her college years in Bloomington, IN, and has lived in Columbus with her husband, Earl H. “Bud” Phillips since 1985. They married August 18,1974, and welcomed children in 1983 and 1985.
Immediate family members who will miss her dearly are her husband and their daughters, Kelly Phillips Badal and Kara Phillips Kopp; their sons-in-law, Tanveer Badal and Zachary Kopp; and their adored grandchildren, Aria Badal, Odella Kopp, Tallulah Kopp and Smith Kopp. Her parents, Eleador and David Wilkins of Munster preceded her in death; she is survived by her sister, Marilyn “Mimi” Thorn and her brother Tim Wilkins.
Wendy was a school psychologist in the Bartholomew County School System (BCSC) for more than 30 years; involved in the Indiana Association of School Psychologists (IASP), and additionally served as a representative for Indiana in the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). She was honored by IASP in September 2017 for her dedication as an advocate for children. She loved her work and formed a close-knit set of friends throughout the Columbus school system especially. Her work took her from school to school and occasionally to other cities, and she enjoyed being in touch with dozens of her friends and colleagues daily. Even after her retirement in 2017, she and her colleagues-many of whom are among her best friends-remained close, regularly getting together for luncheons, parties, outings and more.
Wendy loved traveling, recently visiting Peru and Alaska with her husband, close friends and family. Even as her health issues increased, she refused to slow down: In her last three months, she spent more than a week in both Southern California and North Carolina visiting her daughters and grandchildren. Her tight network of friends extended throughout the U.S., and she maintained ties with friends from her elementary school years and college, traveling to reunions and making plans to meet up at festivals, concerts, live theater and more. She was gradually unable to leave her house in her final month, but nevertheless kept her social calendar packed. Her close friends and family were with her or in constant touch throughout her last days.
She was someone who always offered her time and energy to those she loved. She never forgot birthdays or anniversaries and liked to send cards and letters to her family and friends-covering them edge to edge with excellent handwriting. She was someone who relished trips to her daughters’ homes, where she could visit the Atlantic or Pacific. She was someone you could always count on to have a stash of Albanese gummy bears nearby. She was someone whose personality was as bright as the colorful jewelry and clothing she favored. And though she lived with cancer for much of her adult life, she was someone who never let it define her.
A viewing will be held on December 28 from 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. at Jewell-Rittman Family Funeral Home, 3855 25th St, Columbus, IN 47203. A 10 a.m. service prior to interment will be held December 29, also at Jewell-Rittman.
Condolences can be sent to Jewell-Rittman or memorial contributions in Wendy’s name can be made to Love Chapel, lovechapel-bartholomew.org.
