Suzanne Heath Phillips

Suzanne Heath Phillips, 83, of Dallas passed away on September 16 after a short battle this summer with ovarian cancer.

Suzanne was born on May 28,1943 at Edgewood Arsenal in Maryland. Her parents were James Allen and Mary Rose Heath. Her father, a 1940 graduate of Texas A&M with a degree in chemical engineering, served the U.S. Army during World War II as a chemical weapons instructor in the Washington D.C. area.

After the war ended her family moved to Okmulgee, OK and then back home to Texas—Old Ocean on the Texas coast and Corpus Christi and finally, Pasadena.

Suzanne graduated from Pasadena High School in 1961. She was class valedictorian and received a Jesse Jones Scholarship. She attended North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas) and received a B.A. Degree in Government in 1965. After graduation, she attended graduate school at North Texas. In May 1966 she received a Ford Foundation grant and internship at the Texas Legislature, where she would serve on the staff of the Senate State Affairs Committee.

While in college, she met Larry Phillips, and they were married on August 20,1966. . Their first home was in Temple, Texas, where Larry was city editor of the Temple Daily Telegram. Suzanne commuted from Temple to Austin for her internship in the legislature. The couple moved to Dallas in 1967 when Larry joined the Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFESs) and began a 31-year career in public relations.

After her internship ended, Suzanne began work for Belden Associates, a marketing research company, in Dallas. That job was interrupted in 1971 when Larry was transferred to Munich, Germany to work in the European headquarters of AAFES. While in Munich they not only enjoyed traveling to a dozen European countries but also took on new duties as parents to their daughter Katherine, who was born in Munich in 1972. Larry was transferred back to HQ AAFES in 1976, and they moved to DeSoto. Suzanne stated home with Katherine for three years before resuming her career at Belden. She completed a 31-year career with Belden Associates in 2007 as a partner and one of the Executive Vice Presidents.

While on overseas duty, Suzanne and Larry enjoyed traveling to many countries and soaking up European culture. In the last 50 years they continued to travel, visiting all but 10 states and exploring more than 30 international locations on river and ocean cruises and group tours.

Suzanne was a member of the United Methodist Church of DeSoto for 38 years where she served in key leadership positions. In retirement she played a key role in establishing the DeSoto Food Pantry in 2007 and Was president of the food pantry board for six years.

When their grandson, Hudson was born in 2014, Suzanne and Larry moved to Dallas to be near their daughter and her family. Since 2015 Suzanne has been an active member of First United Methodist Church of Dallas where she participated in an elementary school reading program, served food at Austin Street Shelter and was co-president of her Sunday School class in 2026.

Suzanne is survived by her husband of 60 years, Larry, and their daughter, Katherine Phillips Black, her husband, Barry Black and their son, Hudson, of Dallas. Her surviving family members include brothers Jim Heath and his wife, Linda, of Tomball; Robert Heath of Boerne; and David Heath and his wife Andrea of Bryan-College Station.

She also leaves the following nieces, nephews, cousins and their families:

Niece Laura and Dale Tadlock of Hoover, AL, and daughters, Lindsay and Elizabeth; Nephew David and Cara Heath of Cypress and daughter Emma; Nephew Jim and Lisa Heath of Mason and daughter, Madelyn of Helena, MT; Nephew Joel Heath of Austin; and Nephew Todd and Shalane Heath of Wylie and daughters Ember and Auora. Cousins Virginia and Robert Dupuy of Dallas; Barry and Sylvia Davis of Coronado, California and Daryl Davis, also of Coronado. Virginia’s sister Alice Hyde lives in London. Other first cousins are George Andrews. Linda Benedict, Carol Rawlings and Gordon Andrews, all in the Houston area.

A memorial service for Suzanne will be held at First United Methodist Church of Dallas, 1926 Ross Avenue, Dallas at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 10. Valet parking will be available at the rear entrance of the church or in Bryan Tower parking garage. A reception will follow the service.

The memorial service will be live-streamed on the First UMC Dallas website. You can use this link to watch the service on October 10 or on a delay basis for the next 30 days. To view the service click on this link:

https://firstunitedmethodis-3z7w.subspla.sh/qz74ztj    

Suzanne’s urn will be interred in the First UMC Columbarium.

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made in her memory to the , the Rise Fund of First UMC Dallas, a charity of your choice or the American Cancer Society.

West-Hurtt Funeral Home in DeSoto is in charge of arrangements. 

ALL FLORAL TRIBUTES NEED TO BE DELIVERED TO THE CHURCH. THE FUNERAL HOME IS NOT INVOLVED WITH THE SERVICE AT THE CHURCH.