Phil Utley

Phil Utley Family

Phil Utley
born December 8, 1941 Albion, Illinois
married December 22, 1962 Dorothy Lathrop in Wayne City, Illinois
died March 5, 2013, Tifton, Georgia

Will be missed by all who knew him.

TIFTON - Dr. Philip Ray Utley, 71, of Tifton died March 5, 2013, in Tifton after a long battle with cancer.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at First United Methodist Church of Tifton with the Rev. Bruce Sack officiating and Dr. Wayne Hanna and Mr. John Brooks delivering eulogies.  Private interment will be held at Zion Hope Baptist Church Cemetery.

The family will receive friends at the church immediately following the memorial service.

Born December 18, 1941 in Albion, Ill. to the late Verden Everett Utley and Mildred Loraine Hocking Utley.  Dr. Utley earned his Doctorate in Animal Science from the University of Kentucky and began his career as a research professor with the University of Georgia at the Coastal Plain Experiment Station in Tifton in 1970.  He became the head of the Animal Sciences Department and in 1966 he was named Assistant Dean of the University of Georgia - Tifton Campus as the director of the Coastal Plain Experiment Station until his retirement in 2001.  Of his time with the UGA-Tifton Campus, Dr. Utley felt that "he was blessed to work with some of the finest people in the profession."

Dr. Utley loved his family and always attended his children's and grandchildren's sporting events and livestock shows.  After retirement, he worked on several restoration projects, including restoring his father's John Deere tractor, and enjoyed being outdoors, raising livestock, going fishing, and playing cards with his wife, Dot.  He was a member of First United Methodist Church of Tifton where he was in the Searcher's Sunday School Class.  As a member and past president of the Tifton Kiwanis Club.  Dr. Utley served in numerous leadership capacities and was active in club projects.  He also was a volunteer and served on the board of directors of the Georgia Agrirama (now Georgia Museum of Agriculture).

Survivors include, his wife of 50 years, Dorothy "Dot" Lathrop Utley of Tifton; three sons and daughters-in-law, Scott and Tonya Utley of Tifton, Dr. Shawn and MeLisa Utley of Tifton, and Sam and Dr. Barb Utley of Logan, Utah; one brother and sister-in-law, Jim and Nancy Utley of Albion, Ill.; five grandchildren, Nick Utley, Katie Utley, Boone Utley, Jasper Utley and Rhett Utley; his closest friends Clarence Smith, Carroll Applewhite, and Wayne Hanna; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Flowers will be accepted or donations may be made to the UGA Foundation c/o: the Tift County 4-H Club P.O. Box 7548 Tifton, GA  31793 or the Moultrie Technical College Foundation 800 Veterans Parkway Moultrie, GA  31788.

Online condolences may be shared by visiting albritton-beaumontfuneralhome.com.

Albritton-Beaumont Funeral Directors is in charge of arrangements.
[Tifton Gazette]