Phillip England Blount

Since his death on June 20, 2023, Phillip England Blount has been sadly missed and fondly remembered by family and friends. A resident of Pass Christian (MS), Phillip possessed a kind heart, a creative intellect, a generous willingness to help those around him, and a restless persona. In remembrance of him, a celebration of life will be held August 19 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Pass Christian Yacht Club.

Born in Jackson (MS) on May 14, 1977, just days shy of the release of the first Star Wars movie, Phillip became a fan of the iconic series finding adventure around every corner.  By fate, he spent the first half of his life in the 20^th century and the second half in the 21^st century before dying at age 46. A child of the 1980s, Phillip took advantage of the freedom his hometown offered by riding his bike exploring Pass Christian.  He liked to fish, crab, sail, and swim on sunny days while playing video games on the rainy days, usually with friends and family.  

A 1996 graduate of St. Stanislaus (SSC) in Bay St. Louis (MS), he also igh SchoolHiattended St. Thomas the Apostle School and Coast Episcopal School in Long Beach (MS). He participated in many clubs and organizations at SSC. He was a member of the newspaper staff, student council, Key Club, and he’s in the sailing team photo. He matriculated to Mississippi State University and later graduated from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, with a degree in machine tool technology. 

Phillip always saw the best in others, looking past any imperfections to a person’s hidden strengths. Using humor, encouragement, and compliments, he had a gift of turning the most frustrating and difficult circumstances into simple aggravations and inconsequential annoyances, continually striving to make people smile and feel good about themselves. He was generous with his time and talents, which included assembling many toys for his niece and nephews, once working on a basketball goal while wearing a thick coat and a smile during freezing temperatures, and always offering a helping hand to his neighbors.

Fishing and floundering were his passions, usually inviting friends and family on those excursions. The night before he died, e reached ioyt the he asked about soon taking his nephews floundering and soft-shell crabbing.

His intellect, skill set, talents, and restlessness surfaced in the numerous industries in which he worked. His intelligence, skills, and versatility allowed him to work as a machinist in New Orleans, an electrician in Tallahassee (FL), an oceanographic research assistant in the Gulf of Mexico, and as an employee of a country club, pizza shop, and lawn care business on the Mississippi Coast. He easily met the skill sets required for jobs but the commitment to the employment came more difficult. His favorite stops on his career path always included working with people. He especially enjoyed making new friends. 

Most of all, he loved his family, constantly helping with repairing things around the house and doing yard work. He was a wonderful uncle to a niece and three nephews. He assisted niece Elizabeth with school projects, took nephew Harrison on an overnight Boy Scouts trip to the USS Alabama battleship when his father wasn’t available, often sang with nephew Farrell, and played with nephew Northrop, whether it was putting together Legos and racing remote controlled cars or just being goofy to make him and the others laugh.  Phillip loved being a part of their lives, and they loved him. He once told an uncle, “They are all superstars to me.” Just saying “he will be missed,” doesn’t reduce the tremendous loss.

Phillip was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, M.Sgt. Lloyd Leon Blount and Beatrice Fletcher Blount, who introduced him to TV westerns and sports, helped make all his science fair projects top tier, and instilled a love of dinosaurs, snakes, frogs, and lizards, and his maternal grandparents, Edward Wisner Peneguy and Louise Northrop Peneguy, who instilled a love of the theater, the joys of Sunday lunches, amazing restaurants and the importance of family. Both sets of grandparents resided in Pass Christian and were just a bike ride away.

He is survived by his mother, Ann Peneguy Blount of Pass Christian, who was his constant champion, his father Phillip Lloyd Blount (Deborah) of Missouri City (TX), a sister Katherine “Katie” Blount Walton (Daniel) of Pass Christian, his niece Elizabeth, nephews Harrison, Farrell and Northrop, a paternal aunt, Doty Blount Wenzel (Rod) of Tallahassee, and a number of beloved maternal uncles, aunts, and cousins who served as mentors and friends. As a child and even in his later adult years, Phillip was usually first to tell family members, “I love you,” when bidding farewell.