Dr. Joseph (Joe) Franklin Phillips of Boynton Beach, Florida, passed away peacefully in his home on March 9, 2024. Joe is predeceased by his parents Joseph F. Phillips, Sr. and Mary Leona Young. He is survived by his wife Karen Phillips, son Brent Phillips (Amy Phillips), daughter Melissa Phillips Sathe (Rahul Sathe), grandsons Dilan and Kiran Sathe, granddaughter Ella Phillips, sister Shirley Pfadt, and numerous nephews and nieces. He was an incredibly loving father, husband, grandfather, and uncle who passed on his compassion and sense of humor.

Joe was born in Greenville, South Carolina, on February 26, 1944, and always carried a piece of South Carolina in his heart. He attended the University of South Carolina and Emory University Medical School for his MD and internship. Joe met his wife Karen at his residency in radiology at Duke University. During his residency he served on the hospital ship Hope in Brazil for 3 months. He continued his medical studies at Duke with a fellowship in cardiac catheterization and was a pioneer of ultrasound research. During his time at Duke he won the Association of University Radiologists Memorial Award that he traveled to Vancouver, Canada to receive. Joe was a Major in the Army during the Vietnam War and served at Walter Reed Medical Center as an Interventional Radiologist. Karen and Joe were married in Boynton Beach, Florida, during the last few months of his service in 1976. They moved to Mobile, Alabama, where Joe was on the teaching staff at the University of South Alabama, imparting his knowledge of early ultrasound diagnostics to future doctors.

Joe spent the remaining 25 years of his incredible career as an Interventional Radiologist at Bethesda Memorial Hospital with an amazing group of doctors and friends whom he cherished. His knack for public speaking captivated audiences and came in handy as President of the Palm Beach Medical Society.

Joe had many hobbies and passions. His love of boating and the ocean continued from the sailboat Windchime in Mobile to a trawler Thundershine in Ocean Ridge, Florida, where the family moved in 1978. Joe also enjoyed flying planes and gliders, HAM radios, and who could forget computers! He was computer obsessed to say the least and extremely technologically savvy. He shared this passion for technology with the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) in Balsam Grove, North Carolina, where his love of astronomy was fulfilled helping maintain telescopes and educating visitors as a docent. Joe loved volunteering at PARI while summering in his favorite place, Lake Toxaway, North Carolina, where he enjoyed many summers of family time on the lake, hiking and exploring the mountains.

Joe endeavored to impart his moral compass and outstanding integrity to his children. He always knew the right thing to do and a was great person from whom to seek advice. He loved his grandkids immensely and would do anything to better their lives. It made him extremely happy to see both kids and grandkids enjoy themselves at the family summer home in Lake Toxaway, North Carolina.

Joe was a remarkably intelligent and kind human and his family would like to extend an open invitation to celebrate his life on Saturday, March 16, from 4-7pm (remembrances at 5pm) at the Delray Dunes Country Club at 12005 Dunes Road, Boynton Beach, FL 33436.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to these charities in his memory: The Cleveland Clinic Foundation - Head and Neck Cancer Research (give.ccf.org/drjoephillips), The Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (pari.edu), and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (stjude.org).