In memory of Phillip (Phil) O. Sweeney Phil Sweeney, age 82, passed away on December 13, 2022, at JMCGH in Jackson, TN following a brief illness. He was born July 13, 1940, in Alturas, CA to Austin and Catherine Sweeney. He met the love of his life, Ruthie Sweeney, in Japan in 1961. They were married in 1963 in Tucson, Arizona. Throughout the years, he had a very interesting life growing up that was full of antics. He loved to joke and have fun until his death, which many who knew him can attest to! As a young boy, he loved to hike 4 miles to his favorite fishing hole and bring the fish back for his grandma to cook. He carved his own toys, made slingshots from tree limbs, borrowed the head of his sisters doll to play ball, then put it back. He was involved in lots of other shenanigans too numerous to mention here! In 1952 he moved to Whittier, CA where he attended Jr. High and High School. He was an avid football player and a very good one at that. In his junior year at California High School, he was awarded trophies for Best Back, Best Tackler, Most Inspirational, and Most Outstanding Player. If you know Phil Sweeney, you will understand the Most Inspirational is the one that always meant the most to him. Les Richter, who played for the LA Rams, presented the awards and quipped, "It took me 14 years to get that many awards". Being the humble man he was, Phil never talked about that. As usual, he impressed those around him. While finishing his college education at night classes he was highly encouraged to apply for a job at the Jet Propulsions Laboratory (JPL, affiliated with NASA) in Pasadena, CA. He did and was hired in Computer Operations, moving up to Space Flight Operations Manager. He was involved with all of the unmanned space flights beginning with landing on the moon until leaving that job in 1979. In fact, his name is on a plaque left on the moon in a subsequent landings mission to the moon. He loved that job and until his death was an ardent follower of the space program. I do not think many knew that about him either. So we can always remember him and his love for that program when we gaze at the moon. In 1979 he decided to move with his family to Tennessee for a better environment to raise his children. He created Country Junction resort which he ran until 2002. Phil loved God and his family more than anything. He was a member of Springville Church of Christ and also loved his church family dearly. Besides his wife Ruthie, he is survived by son David Sweeney of Springville, TN, and Deanna Sweeney Perry (fianc Robert Plant) of Big Sandy, TN. Also 3 grandsons, Phillip Perry, (Brittney), Alex Perry (Alyson), and Blake Perry. One granddaughter, Kelley Gregory, (Jeff), and one great-grandson, JC Gregory. He was preceded in death by his parents, sister, Donna Blodgett, and daughter-in-law, Deborah Sweeney. Special thanks to the doctors and nurses at JMCGH for their excellent care of our loved one and also to HCMC ER. His body was cremated and due to inclement weather, sickness of family, and others, there will be no service. If anyone would like to make a contribution in his memory, he was very fond of St. Judes, Turner Syndrome Foundation, and the Church of Christ Disaster Relief Program.