The South Marshall Elementary school gymnasium is being named in memory of longtime custodian Robert Phillips, who served Marshall County Schools for more than 20 years, spending the majority of his career at South Marshall Elementary.
School Principal Brad Darnall presented the recommendation to the Marshall County Board of Education during a board meeting last night and it was approved unanimously. Robert's son, Brandon, was in attendance.
While speaking to the school board, Darnall said Robert was much more than a custodian at South Marshall. He said for generations of students and staff, he was simply “Mr. Robert,” and he became an important part of the identity and history of the school. He was known for his unmistakable laugh, his sense of humor, his practical jokes, and, most importantly, the relationships he built with students and staff throughout his years at South Marshall.
Naming the gymnasium in Robert’s memory is especially fitting because of his love for basketball and the pride he took in caring for that part of the school. Robert loved talking with students about their basketball games, hearing how they played, and occasionally watching them play. He also took tremendous pride in the gym floor. He wanted it clean, shiny, and looking its best, and everyone who worked with Robert knew how seriously he took caring for it.
Darnall said when Robert retired shortly before his passing, the students and staff celebrated his more than two decades of service to Marshall County Schools. "We expected that retirement would simply mean seeing him a little less often," Darnall said. "We fully expected him to come back through the doors to visit, tell a story, pull a prank, talk basketball, or give someone a hard time. We never imagined we would be saying goodbye so soon."
Darnall went on to say Robert’s impact on South Marshall cannot be measured simply by the number of years he worked there or the jobs he completed. "His legacy is found in the generations of students who remember him, the coworkers who considered him family, and the countless stories that still begin with, “Do you remember when Robert...?”
We believe the naming the Robert Phillips Gymnasium is a fitting and lasting tribute to someone who gave so much of himself to South Marshall Elementary. Future generations of students may not all have the opportunity to know Mr. Robert personally, but his name will remain part of a place he cared for with pride and connected to a game he loved.
It's a fitting way to make sure Mr. Robert will always remain part of the story of South Marshall Elementary.