Phyllis Jean (Deen) Hill, 78, passed away on Sunday, January 7, 2023, at Centennial Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, after an unexpected illness. Phyllis is survived by her son, Phillip Deen Hill and his wife, Presley, their two sons John and Jameson Deen, her sister Judy Kirkpatrick, and her brother, Paul Deen II.

Phyllis was born Dec. 29th, 1945, in Hammond, Indiana, to parents Paul Thomas Deen of Petersburg and Juanita Imogene (Harrington) Deen of Hammond. She spent most of her childhood moving around the country from New York to California, but considered Petersburg her "home". Phyllis graduated from Petersburg High School in 1964, and briefly attended Oakland City College for one year before marrying Roger Hill of Kokomo, Indiana.

Phyllis' family were talented musicians that took several trips to Nashville, Tennessee, to attend the Grand Ole Opry and meetings of the Chet Atkins Fan Club when Phyllis was still a child. She was fascinated with Music City and considered Nashville a magical place. As an adult, she tried to convince her husband to take his guitar playing talents to Nashville, but when he refused, they divorced and she moved to Nashville on her own. One of her first jobs in Nashville was answering the phone at WSM Radio for Ralph Emery's all-night radio show. In November of 1972, Phyllis and Ralph had a baby boy that she named Phillip Hill, giving him her previously married last name to protect Ralph Emery's reputation.

Phyllis continued to work in the country music industry for the next 50+ years and raised her son as a single mother in Nashville. Some of her notable places of employment included Screen Gems Music, Ovation Records, The Nashville Network cable television channel, the Nashville Musicians Union, and for the last 20 years, Sun Records. Some of Rock 'n Roll and Country Music's biggest stars knew Phyllis personally and considered her a friend.

Phyllis Hill's funeral service will be held at 3:00 PM EST on Saturday, January 13, 2023, at O.D. Harris Funeral Home, 705 Walnut Street, Petersburg, IN 47567 (812) 354-8844. The visitation will be from 2:00 PM EST at the funeral home and is open to friends and relatives and flower arrangements are welcome. Her final resting place will be Pleasant Ridge Cemetery in Campbelltown (Pike County), Indiana.

O.D. Harris Funeral Home is entrusted with care.  Online condolences may be made at odharrisfuneralhome.com