A Celebration of Life for Philip Ray Jett, 86, of Alton, MO will be held at 6PM Saturday September 20, 2025 at Country Meadows Christian Venue/Event Center in Rover, MO. The service will be led by Bro. Wayne Adrian and Andy Trantham, following the service please join the family for a fish with all of the trimmings.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Rover Fire Department and/or the Ronald McDonald Foundation. Please write a memory or story about Philip that you would like to share with the family. These stories then will be placed into a memory album.
Philip Jett passed away the evening of Saturday September 13, 2025 peacefully surrounded by his family at his home 4 miles west of Alton where he had lived for 52 years.
He was born in Hobbs, NM on August 7, 1939 to Joseph Samuel Jett and Ruby Agnes (Thompson) Jett. At 4 years old his family moved to Quail, TX where he lived until he was 12 years old. In December of 1951 his family moved to Rover, MO. He graduated from Thomasville High School in 1957. He served 3 years in the US Army and 6 years in the Missouri National Guard.
On May 20, 1961 he married his Texas “sweet tea” waitress Juanita Adrian, who had moved with her family from Sebastian, TX to Alton, MO in 1953 when she was 12 years old. They were the first couple to be married at the Pennwood Community Church on P Hwy. They were married for 64 years and had 3 children, Dwayne Ray, Daniel Roy and Denise Ann.
Philip followed in his fathers footsteps and worked in the pipeline industry for the first 6 months of their marriage in Iowa. In December of 1961, Philip and Juanita moved to Springfield, MO where he worked for the Missouri Air National Guard as a helicopter mechanic. After the accidental death of their oldest son on May 12, 1966, they started to make plans to come home to Oregon County. In March of 1968, Philip moved his family to Alton, MO, where he rented, owned and operated 3 different service stations. His last station was the Southside DX that he owned and operated until he retired in 2001.
Philip was saved as a young teenager and joined the Shilo Baptist Church in Rover. One of his favorite memories was riding his horse to the church early on Sunday mornings to build the fire in the pot-belly stove so the church would be warm for services. He loved his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and his church family and especially working with the children in Vacation Bible School.
Philip loved so many things but his family was top on his list! Since his grandchildren and great grandson live so far away in Maine, he loved all of his nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, great great nieces, and great great nephews as his own. He loved the Alton Comet’s sports teams and the Winona Lady Wildcats Volleyball team. He loved horses, hunting, fishing, his farm, country living, helping his wife with the garden and canning. He loved being on the river with friends and family cooking and eating fresh fish on the river bank. One of his crowning moments is being the head cook and bottle washer for the Adrian Thanksgiving fish fry. Philip was always a good patient and loved all his nurses but especially the ladies at Fresenius for all their great care.
While Philip was stationed in Italy in the Army he was diagnosed with urinary bladder cancer. He was treated for cancer for 66 years and he never complained. He loved his life with all the ups and downs.
Philip is survived by his wife, Juanita, of the family home, two children Daniel and Denise, both from Alton, two granddaughters Aivry Taylor and Isabel Amrie, grandson Noah Ray and a great grandson Milo Fenrir Martel, all of the state of Maine. One brother Lester (Mozella) of Rover, MO; one sister Maxine Grinstead of Lebanon, IN; two sister-in-law Betty Sue of Pomona, MO and Gertie of Alton, MO; many nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, great great nieces, and great great nephews. He also leaves behind more friends than can be counted. He loved them all!
Philip was preceded in death by his parents, one son Dwayne Ray at four years of age; five brothers Kenneth (Fern), Claude (Olene), Sammy (Shirley), Harvey, David and two sisters Nancy Venburg (Kenneth) and Lana Bennett.
