Addie Mae Phillips was born December 19, 1935, in Appling, Georgia. She passed away on September 13, 2024. She was 88 years old. She was, surrounded by her family. She was the oldest of 15 children and was the mother of Jackie Lacey, the first woman and first African American to serve as the Los Angeles County District Attorney and Carol Phillips, who works as a Housing Specialist for the County’s Department of Mental Health.
In 1953, Mrs. Phillips relocated to Los Angeles to live with her aunts. Three years later, she married Louis, who served as a sanitation worker for the City of Los Angeles. She and Louis were married for 53 years. They had two daughters. Louis passed away in 2008.
Mrs. Phillips’ education in Georgia was sporadic as she was frequently pulled out of school to work in the fields to help support her large family. As a result, she did not finish high school. In her late twenties, she enrolled in adult school, at Dorsey High School, and obtained her General Equivalent Degree (GED).
Mrs. Phillips worked in the garment district for several years but was eventually hired by Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) as a food service worker for Crescent Heights Childcare Center. Addie retired from LAUSD after 35 years of dedicated service.
Mrs. Phillips was a member of Trinity Baptist Church in Los Angeles for 60 years. She loved sewing and gardening and took pride in growing her own collard greens. She also loved to dress up and always made sure her pocketbook, shoes, and hat, were coordinated with her outfits.
Mrs. Phillips will be remembered as a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She is survived by her daughters, Jackie and Carol, her three grandchildren, Kareem, April, and Laydell and three great-grandchildren, Malachi, Micah, and Layla. She also is survived by four siblings and host of extended family and friends.
