Philip Lee Hardison

*** Due to projected inclement weather predictions by the National Weather Service, all Services have been postponed to Saturday, January 18, 2025. Philip Lee Hardison, age 69, passed away suddenly at his home in Tellico Village on December 30th, 2024. The son of Henry and Carol Hardison, Phil was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on October 18, 1955. He grew up in Utica, NY, and Kettering, OH, later becoming a longtime resident of the Knoxville area. Reflecting on Phil's youth, family members and childhood friends remember him as a gifted, creative child who took after his father in many ways. From an early age, Phil was experimenting with Super 8 cameras, creating his own movies. He also demonstrated a strong musical instinct and soon started to play guitar. He went on to complete a BFA in Photography at ETSU, before earning a Master's in Cinematography at the University of Cincinnati. At ETSU, he met his wife of 44 years, Deborah Fields. They were married in Bristol, Tennessee, in 1980. Phil and Deb became a lifelong creative team and often collaborated together on projects. They had three children together: Cooper, Ethan, and Graham. A loving father, Phil cherished his sons; they were his pride and inspiration in everything he did. Following graduate school, Phil and Deb moved to Knoxville, TN, where Phil built a strong portfolio in TV and film production. He eventually started his own business, Flip Film + Design, which would go on to represent many local and national accounts. His work earned him numerous ADDY Awards, and he is a lifetime member of the Knoxville Advertising Federation Hall of Fame. However, as Phil's many friends and collaborators will attest, film production was not his only area of expertise. For more than 40 years, Phil has been a pivotal member of the Knoxville music community. In the late '80s and early '90s, when Knoxville was still growing into the city it is now, Phil participated in the vibrant jazz music scene, where he met and performed with a variety of gifted artists. Over the course of the following decades, Phil established a reputation as a talented, loyal, and reliable guitarist who was always available to play a gig, no matter how daunting or challenging. In addition to his technical proficiency as a guitarist, he was known especially for his original and evocative song arrangements. Later in life, he also began to act as a talent manager and event coordinator, drawing on his business acumen to arrange concerts throughout Knoxville. With his work in music, he provided countless hours of inspiration and enjoyment, while also helping many Knoxville musicians launch and maintain their careers. When he wasn't playing music, working in film, or spending time with family, Phil loved boating on Tellico Lake. His love for boating dated back to his childhood, when his father would take Phil and his siblings on long boat trips. Phil and Deb enjoyed many happy hours on the lake with the kids. Phil was a doer, a hard worker, someone who always had a solution to any problem, a solution that worked. Moreover, he was a loyal friend who always pulled through for the people he loved. Countless people can attest to his fidelity and reliability as a friend, colleague, or collaborator. He was always there to help, and was known as someone who would drop everything in an instant to aid a friend in need. An anchor to those around him, he was a source of strength, stability, and comfort. It's safe to say that for every friend Phil had, of which there were very many, there's a story about Phil coming through for someone against all odds. He was truly a hero, a pillar of his community, and a source of inspiration to everyone who knew him. Phil was preceded in death by his parents Henry and Carol Hardison, of Morristown, TN, and his son Cooper, of Knoxville, TN. He will always be lovingly remembered by his wife, Deborah Fields Hardison, of Loudon, TN; his sons Ethan (Chattanooga, TN) and Graham (Nashville, TN); his sister-in-law Karen Fields (Greenville, SC); and his siblings and their families: Ruth Barhite of Chattanooga, TN, Hank Hardison (Nancy) of Houston, TX, Alice Showalter (Phil) of Danville, KY, Jim Hardison of Knoxville, TN, Sue Phillips (Steve) of Watkinsville, GA, and Tom Hardison of Bulls Gap, TN. He is also survived by his nieces and nephews Denae Aquil, Will Barhite, John Showalter, Mary Showalter, Nick Hensley, Emily Ussery, and Rebecca Crook, as well as several great nieces and nephews. His maternal grandparents were Mildred Norris Click Miller and John Click Sr. of Ironton, Ohio. His paternal grandparents were Henry Hardison and Jessie Phillips Hardison of Weldon, NC. *** Due to projected inclement weather predictions by the National Weather Service, all Services have been postponed to Saturday, January 18, 2025. A Celebration of Life Service will be held 5:30 p.m., Saturday, January 18, 2025; the family will receive friends from 4:00-5:30 p.m., preceding the service. A gathering for family and friends will be held afterwards at Union Place Grill, 4884 Chambliss Avenue. Online condolences and memories may be shared at www.rosefuneraltn.com.

Tributes

Philip Lee Hardison

October 18, 1955 - December 30, 2024