South Huntsville Neighbors, July 2024

RESIDENT FEATURE
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Mee Phillip and Shellie Smith
By Phillip and Shellie Smith as told to Bob Druckman
Photo by Mandi Cook Photography
Phillip was born and raised in Huntsville. He met Shellie, who was
born and raised in South East California, in a little town called Holtville
after transferring to Yuma Arizona in the Marine Corps. Phillip
graduated from Grissom High School in 1984, and American Military
University in 2014 with a BA in Homeland Security. Shellie
graduated from Holtville High School in Holtville California, and
was a junior Escrow Officer with a title company. Phillip and Shellie
met at church when she came to visit her brother who attended
the same congregation as Phillip. Being divorced, Phillip was on
his final tour in the Marines. They soon became friends and started
dating, taking their children to various places such as SeaWorld,
Disneyland, and beaches around Southern California. They were
married in 2001 which made for a family of five.
Their oldest, a daughter, is currently serving in the Navy in California.
She has blessed the family with a daughter, and is currently
expecting a son in October. The middle child, a son, is a groundskeeper
at a local golf course in Huntsville. Currently he is unattached.
The youngest, another boy, is married and now resides in
Georgia. He and his wife both served in the Navy and have brought
a baby girl into the world.
Shellie and Phillip moved to Huntsville in 2008, shortly after Phillip’s
retirement from the Marine Corps. After multiple trips around
the world and after visiting over 30 countries, Phillip says that he
likes the friendliness and pace of Huntsville.
Phillip left Huntsville when he joined the Marines in 1985 to
"see the world" and "gain discipline". Phillip admits to having
seen much of the world. “The Marine Corps teaches an individual
to be self-sufficient and to lead. These traits work well
either working for someone or running you own business. The
sense of responsibility taught by the Corps, allows Marines to
accept that "the buck stops here" attitude is necessary for mission
completion.”
Shellie worked for Escrow when she met Phillip, yet when the
bubble popped in the housing market, it made more sense for her
to raise their children as a stay-at-home Mom.
Phillip and Shellie both worked for a SUNMED franchise before
purchasing the one they worked in. For them, it was a way to continue
to help those friends they made, and to be their own bosses.
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