Clara Phillips

Service will be live-streamed at 12PM on S.L.McLaughlin Funeral Home Facebook page and S.L. McLaughlin YouTube page.

Clara Lee Phillips was born on October 17, 1943, in Langsdale, Mississippi, to the late Sam Burton and Eva Sterling. She peacefully entered eternal rest on September 5, 2025, at the age of 81. She was united in marriage to the late Floyd Phillips, Sr., with whom she shared a loving life and family.

Clara moved from Mississippi to Albany, New York, in 1964 and made the city her home. She worked faithfully for 36 years at Albany Medical Center, where she eventually retired. Even in retirement, Clara’s work never truly ended. She continued on to South End Children's Cafe where she cooked and volunteered, and dedicated her time with youth they served. Her life’s work was centered on helping people, giving back to her community, and spreading love wherever she went.

Clara was the proud founder of Mississippi Day in Albany, a celebration now in its 13th year. What began as her way of sharing a piece of home became a community tradition that brought families together with food, music, and storytelling. Mississippi Day not only honored Southern roots but also created unity across neighborhoods. In recognition of her vision and dedication, an annual award in her name will be given each year at Mississippi Day to honor those who embody her spirit of service.

Clara’s greatest joy was her family. She was a devoted mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who always provided for her loved ones. She taught her children and grandchildren to stay close, love one another, and “get to know your family.”

Her hobbies were centered in the kitchen, where she was famous for her mac and cheese, banana pudding, sweet potato pie, and pound cakes. Cooking was her peace, and she loved sharing her meals as a way of giving love to others. Clara also loved to travel back to Mississippi whenever she could, treasured her Chicago Bulls (especially seeing her relative Derrick Rose play early in his career), and rekindled a special bond with her nephew in her later years, a relationship that became a blessing to her and her family.

Clara was well-known for her kindness, generosity, and smile. Friends and loved ones often said she never complained and always carried herself with grace. She shared her wisdom through gentle humor and memorable sayings like, “Family means everything” and “Sit your tail down!”

One of her final moments of humor came during a visit with her granddaughter Nekeya, when she lovingly teased, “You move as slow as Christmas.” That memory will forever bring joy to her family’s hearts. It was her way or no way and you could never say no to her.

Her legacy is one of love, service, family, and community, values that will live on through her children, grandchildren, her sister Maylee Horne, her sister-friends known as the “Golden Girls” (Alene Sherman, Inell Rogers, Tammy Miller), Tracy Killar, her church family at Reigning Life Family Church, and the countless lives she touched. She leaves to cherish her memory her children, Cynthia Phillips (Chiquita Wynder-Phillips), Floyd Phillips Jr., Pete Jones, and Tonia Jones; her grandchildren, Nichole Thomas, Nekeya Thomas, Nahvasia Thomas, Javis Thomas, Geniah Phillips, Gelissa Phillips, Genard Phillips Jr., Constance Jones, and Phillip Jones; her special loved ones, niece Betty Gray and nephew Edward Jackson; as well as many friends, church members, and community members who were blessed to know her.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Sam Burton and Eva Sterling, her husband, Floyd Phillips, Sr., Her son Genard Phillips and her siblings, Lemon Burton, Bob Burton, Sam Burton, and Alee Heidelberg.

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