OBITUARY: Katherine Downs Harvey Philp

Katherine Downs Harvey Philp

Katherine Downs Harvey Philp was born in Columbus, MS in 1935, was married to P. Robert Philp, Sr. in 1957 (he predeceased her in 1993), and she died June 23, 2019 in Franklin, TN.

Services will be held at the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Franklin, TN on 10:00 AM Friday, June 28, 2019. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at St. Paul’s in Founder’s Hall. Burial will be at Friendship Cemetery in Columbus, MS.

Survivors include daughter, Clara Mundy Reynolds; son, P. Robert Philp, Jr.; grandson, Alex Philp Mundy; brother, Thomas Clower Harvey, Jr.; brother in law, Alan Philp, Sr. sister-in-laws, Carolyn Harvey, Beverly Philp and Dianne Ryan Caldwell; nieces, Mary Helen Harvey Burdell, and Paige Philp Goodale; nephews, Alan Philp, Jr., Thomas Harvey, III, Amos Harvey, John Harvey, Grant Harvey, Barry Hux, Bobby Hux and Don Ryan; numerous great nephews and great nieces.

Her education included both a BS degree at Mississippi State College for Women and a Masters’ Degree at the University of Mississippi while holding at Academic Fellow in English. During college, she was chosen Pilgrimage Ball Queen in Columbus, MS. Her professional career covered being a teacher of English at Southwestern College in Memphis, TN; Executive Director of Education and Auditory Research in Nashville, TN; Executive Director of Adult Development (READ); as well as a Director of Major Gifts of United Way of Chattanooga. She had performed for several years as a classical bassoonist in several amateur orchestras in Vero Beach, FL and Chattanooga, TN.

She was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (Old Glory), Woodland Garden Club of Lookout Mountain, Sow and Grow Garden Club of Nashville, and Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity. She had been a mountain hiker, back-packer, and competitive 10K runner along with her late husband, Bobby, until the late 1960s.

Afterward, her active life continued with activities such as hiking the Milford Track in New Zealand and horseback riding in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, MT and in Banff, Canada. The happy joy in her life had been entertaining and preparing meals for family and friends. Her lifelong commitment to the Episcopal Church included serving twice on the vestry of the Church of the Good Shepherd of Lookout Mountain, TN, as well as its Stewardship Chair, Endowment Committee, Lay Eucharistic Visitor, and Chalice Bearer. She was one of The Society of the Companions of the Holy Cross.

Memorials may be made to: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 510 W. Main St., Franklin, TN 37064; Tennessee Parks & Greenways Foundation, 117 30th Ave. So., Nashville, TN 37212; Philp Garden at Reflection Riding, 400 Garden Rd., Chattanooga, TN 37419; or Sarah Cannon Cancer Center, 2300 Patterson St., Nashville, TN 37203.