Goldie Garvene Phillips

Goldie Garvene Phillips, age 95, went to Heaven to meet her Lord on October 12, 2023. A graveside service will be held at Fort Bliss National Cemetery on Friday, October 27, at 10:00 am.

Garvene was born July 3, 1928 to Earl Franklin Hudson and Goldie Faye Roberson Hudson in the Bethel community near Lawton, Oklahoma. Her early years were spent with a large extended family in the Bethel and Central High School communities east of Lawton. On September 21, 1947, Garvene was married to Buel Rayford Phillips at Bethel Methodist Church.

After several postings with the Army, both overseas and domestic, Garvene and Buel moved to El Paso in 1962. Garvene became a successful and respected real estate agent and broker. Buel preceded her in death on June 30, 1991. In her retirement years, Garvene enjoyed travel, volunteerism, philanthropy, and visiting her children and grandchildren. She felt the following poem by her grandson summed things up nicely and wished it to be included:

Long, long ago, when the West was still wild, there came one July a wonderful child.

Her hair, it was golden; her eyes, they were green, and so she was known as Goldie Garvene.

She grew up fast as the tall prairie grass, while dust filled the air and the Stock Market crashed.

Yet hard as life was back when life was still cheap, it never could beat good ol’ Goldie Garvene.

So it’s no great surprise that it wasn’t too long, before every young lad tried to make her his own.

But they never got far (the poor, silly fools), for, as she said, it had to be Buel.

Well, soon they were wed as the War met its end, but before very long he was shipped out again.

And so he set sail across the great sea, bound for Japan with his Goldie Garvene.

After all sorts of adventures all over the world, they stumbled upon a little boy and girl.

And naming this one Lane and that one Steve, they took them back home did Buel and Garvene.

Garvene is survived by one son, Stephen Phillips and wife Barbara Durfee of Plano, Texas, and one daughter, Lane Phillips and husband Bill Hausman of Carmichael, California. She has three grandchildren, Jacob Phillips of Plano, Texas, Rachel Phillips of Plano, Texas, and Morrie Pelivanov of Loomis, California.

Rather than flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be sent to Bethel Methodist Church, c/o Diana Cunningham, 171568 N 2720 Road, Duncan, OK 73533.