Julia Faye Sutton Phillips, 89, quietly and peacefully passed away on January 21, 2025 at Trinity Oaks Senior Living Community in Salisbury NC after fighting a long and hard battle against Alzheimer’s disease. Despite the disease, her sweet and cheerful personality remained, and she would brighten the day of all who knew her.

Known as “Faye” or “Julie” but never as “Julia”, Faye was born on the family farm in Sampson County, North Carolina on June 15, 1935 to Dauphus Whitfield “Whit” Sutton and Annie Lucinda “Lucy” Brock Sutton. She was raised in the Newton Grove area where she worked on the family farm, and enjoyed being a part of a large, loving, and supportive family.

Although she was small in stature – not quite 5′ 2″ tall and weighed barely 100 pounds – Faye was large in spirit. Her family, like many, was devastated in the Great Depression. Yet Faye was determined to better herself through education and hard work. She enrolled and graduated from a nursing school in High Point where she could work to earn her tuition. She earned her registered nurse degree and cared for others for over 50 years. She earned the title of valedictorian of every school she attended.

The High Point nursing school had student exchange programs with schools in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. Those exchanges had a major impact on Faye’s life. From those journeys, Faye discovered a love of travel. More importantly, during an autumn night in 1955, while attending a dance in Washington, she met John Phillips who had finished U.S. Navy Basic Training and was in the Washington area for additional training. John was also from a large (Wake County) farm family, and Faye and John dated the rest of 1955. While John served his country in Japan for the next two years the two stayed in contact. They wrote each other countless letters. After he was discharged, John and Faye were married in Zebulon on April 12, 1958. They were completely devoted partners for the rest of their lives.

John’s job led to several moves. Because she was an excellent nurse and diligent worker, Faye always found a job awaiting her at the local hospital. She usually worked part-time to tend to their family, yet when John decided to return to school, Faye took on a full-time role and became their family’s primary source of income so John could focus on his education.

Faye and her family often vacationed at North Carolina beaches, where Faye would wear John’s Navy “dixie cup” cap while she read or took long walks, John fished, and the children swam. Faye and John shared a love of travel. Together they visited 48 of the 50 states, Canada, Mexico, Japan, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and 8 more European countries. They loved taking months-long journeys across the United States, driving as far as Mount McKinley, Denali, Alaska on one journey. As senior citizens, they once decided on a whim to go white-water rafting and drove to West Virginia without telling their children. They were each other’s best friend until Alzheimer’s Disease overtook Faye.

In addition to her parents, Faye was preceded in death by 8 siblings: Lucille Ravinal Sutton Jones, Reuben Eldon “Buddy” Sutton, Nelas Vann Sutton, Lionel Edward “Sambo” Sutton, Annie Geraldine Sutton Williams Taylor, Olive Frances Sutton Leeuwenburg, Maylon Keith Sutton, and Ronald Kent Sutton.

Faye is survived by her husband of 66 years, John Kirby Phillips of Salisbury, N.C.; their 3 children, Lisa Joye Phillips Williams (Walt) of Irmo, S.C.; Kirby Todd Phillips (Harriett) of Concord, N.C.; Mary Beth Phillips Griffin (Jeff) of Concord, N.C.; 7 grandchildren, Shelley Jessica Williams of Irmo, S.C.; Justin Phillips Kuykendall Williams (Catherine) of Raleigh, N.C.; McLeod Kirby Phillips (Anne) of Boonton, N.J.; Matthew Jesse Williams of Irmo, S.C.; John Bullock “Jack” Phillips of Concord, N.C.; Kathryn Noel Griffin of Rome, Italy; and Aubrey Jane Griffin of Concord, N.C.; 1 great-grandson, Phillip Alexander Williams of Raleigh; 4 siblings, Morris Lee Sutton of Mt. Pleasant, S.C.; Linda Gray Sutton Creech of Goldsboro, N.C.; Dennis Whit Sutton, Sr. (Betty) of Newton Grove, N.C.; and Gloria Lorraine Sutton Willeford (Robert) of Danville, Va.; numerous Phillips sisters- and brothers-in-law; and dozens of nieces and nephews and their spouses and children.

Faye was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2020. She courageously fought the progression of this disease with her whole being. She never gave up and continued to bless those who knew her. Her sunny disposition and loving demeanor lifted the spirits of anyone around her. Even in the midst of this disease, she sought to comfort those around her by proclaiming “The Lord is with me!”

Although Faye loved planting flowers and always had a beautiful display of peonies, tulips, and daffodils in her yard every spring, she preferred that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at this time. She was a dedicated supporter of medical research and was confident that more research would ultimately reveal a cure for Alzheimer’s Disease.

Her immediate family are planning to hold a private service to honor her memory. A public celebration of her life will be held in the near future when the weather is warmer.

Faye instilled in her children and grandchildren a love of reading and learning. By her life, Faye taught her children and others that one’s faith, family, and love for others are the most important aspect of one’s life. Fairness, honor, integrity, and honesty are never negotiable; that each person is a child of God and entitled to dignity and respect. She demonstrated the importance of hard work, being a life-long learner, and serving others. She always supported her children and grandchildren and would often remind them of this support by saying, “Just do your best and you’ll always make me proud”.