Phillip "Phil" Marvin Whittle

Hartsville, SC

Mr. Phillip "Phil" Marvin Whittle age 61, LTC retired passed away on Thursday, June 18, 2026 at his residence surrounded by his loving family.  Phil passed away due to complications of Kidney Cancer that metastasized to his lungs.

He was born at Byerly Hospital in Hartsville, SC on March 17, 1965, the only child of Clyde Marvin Whittle (Jan. 24, 1940 - Sept. 26, 2021) and Carolyn Elaine Griggs Whittle.

He attended THA beginning in 1971 and graduated in the Class of 1983.  He attended Wofford College in 1983 and graduated in 1987.  He was in the Army ROTC Program at Wofford.  He was commissioned in field artillery on graduation day May 17, 1987.  

Some of the best times of Phil's life were being a member of the Boy Scouts Troop #512 in Hartsville, SC and at Pee Dee Area Council's Camp Coker near Society Hill, SC.  He was a camper at Camp Coker 1976-1979 on the Camp Coker Staff 1980-1984, 1987-1988.  He attended Dixie Fellowships 1981-2003, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2012-2019.  He was an Eagle Scout in Troop 519 and Vigil Honor Member of Santee Lodge 116 Order of the Arrow.  He enjoyed collecting Boy Scout Memorabilia.  He worked textiles (Milliken and Mayo) and in the trucking industry.  He served 19 years in the SC National Guard and deployed to Camp Taji Iraq in 2008-2009 with the 56th Stryker Brigade of the PA National Guard.  He also was a civilian contractor in Iraq and Afghanistan.  He served an eighteen month tour of duty in Patch Barrack in Stuttgart, Germany from May 2001-Oct. 2002, that enabled him to do some traveling in Europe which he enjoyed.  One goal of his was to visit all fifty states before the age of 30 which he accomplished.  He was a former secretary of the Hartsville Masonic Lodge #173.  He was a member of the Pee Dee Scottish Rite Club in Florence under the Valley of Columbia in the Orient of SC.  He was in the York Rite in Florence and sat in the East in Campbell #31, Cephas Council #13 and Florence Commander #10.  He was a member of Palmetto College #70, York Rite College in Columbia and Knight Masons.  He was also a Range in Palmetto Forest #206 of the Tall Cedars of Lebanon and Allied Masonic Degrees in Camden and Pee Dee Council #552 AMD in Darlington, SC.  He served from May 2013 to July 2016 as commander of Hartsville American Legion Post 53 and was the past Chaplain.

Left to cherish memory are his mother, Elaine Griggs Whittle, Hartsville, son, Zachary Rigby, Aldan, PA, uncle, Loran Griggs, Hartsville, cousins, Lori Griggs, Sharon Parker, Melissa Norton, Karen Watson, Sedell Rowe, Cody Griggs, Laz Schechter, Elish Schechter, special friend, Ellen Litton, mother of Zachary, Janine Phillips and her husband George Phillips.

He was preceded in death by his dad, Marvin Whittle, maternal grandparents, Colon and Ida Mae Griggs, step-grandmother, Mary Teal Griggs, paternal grandparents, Clyde and Blanche Whittle, aunts Betty Watson and Linda C. Griggs.

Funeral services to honor Phil's life will be held 2:00pm Saturday, June 20, 2026 at North Hartsville Baptist Church.  Rev. Ladell Humphries will officiate.  Visitation will be 5:00-7:00pm Friday at Norton Funeral Home.  Burial will be in Magnolia Cemetery with Military Honors and Masonic Rites.

Memorials may be made to North Hartsville Baptist Church, 1117 Patrick Highway, Hartsville, SC 29550.

Norton Funeral Home is honored to be of service to the Whittle family.