10/08/2025
John H. Phillips, age 68 of Sidney, NE, passed away on Saturday October 4, 2025 at the Sidney Regional Medical Center. Services will be held on Friday, October 10, 2025 at 10:00 A.M. at the Faith Methodist Church with Pastor Justin Brown Officiating. Burial with Military Honors will follow at the Greenwood Cemetery.
Friends may stop at the Gehrig-Stitt Chapel on Thursday, October 09, 2025 from 1:00-6:00 P.M. to leave condolences for the family. Family will be present from 4:00-6:00 P.M.
You may view her Book of Memories, leave condolences, photos and stories at www.gehrigstittchapel.com.
Gehrig-Stitt Chapel & Cremation Service, LLC is in charge of John’s care and funeral arrangements.
John Henry Phillips, Jr. was born January 21, 1957 in Denver, Colorado to John Henry Phillips Sr and Eleanor Lauretta Woolhiser. He was raised in Delta, Colorado. Graduating from Delta High School in 1975.
After High School, John enlisted in the United States Army and later was medically discharged. He married Kim Baird on November 9, 1996 in Las Vegas, Nevada. As an ambassador to Sidney, John received the Main Street Volunteer of the Year for Nebraska, Ralph Olsen Award, Chamber Board Member of the year and the Edna Anderson Award. He served on the Chamber Board, CASA Board, Planning and Zoning Commission, Historical Preservation Board, Night of Hope Walk for Cancer, Downtown Lighting Project, Panhandle Bowling Association and Compassionate Friends.
His love for the movie theatres started when he changed the marquee at the Egyptian Theatre in Delta, Colorado for $5.00 a week. When he returned home from the Military, he was hired to
help run theatres in Delta, Montrose, Grand Junction, Craig, Steamboat Springs, Lamar, Sterling, Canon City, Gunnison, Durango and Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Price, Payson, Santaquin, West Valley City and Salt Lake City, Utah. Boise, Idaho and Grand Island, Nebraska.
While running the theatre in Sterling, he knew that the Sidney Theatre was in bankruptcy. In 1987, John acquired the theatre from American National Bank of Sidney and has kept it going for 38 years. The longest running owner to date. He also ran the Sunset Drive In in Bridgeport, Nebraska from 1989-1999 as well as owning the Goodhand Theatre in Kimball, Nebraska from 1995-1998. The love he had for his movie theatre was amazing. He definitely got attached to the help. We acquired a lot of kids through the years.
John LOVED Husker Football. Growing up in Colorado, he was a diehard Husker Fan. John LOVED the Red Sox. They were his Grandpa Phillips favorite team so it was his favorite. John had an amazing love for his rolling oldies. He refurbished a 1985 Pontiac Trans Am, 1946 Jeep CJ7 and a 1948 Jeep Willys pickup that we pulled out of a wheat field at the Johnson farm. He loved his 1979 Dodge Lil Red Express and his 1970 Pontiac GTO Judge. He loved the car shows so he could show them off.
He loved playing cards. From Cribbage to pitch to poker. Having the guys out to the Phillips Casa every other Monday was a night of fun and food. He had an amazing love for animals. Charlie, Kernal, Berringer and Mutt. Ned! Hazel and Tess. During the blizzard, polar vortex and all the snow, he was able to save 40 feral cats. He loved the holidays. Our home was open to whomever didn’t have a place to spend the holidays. Sometimes it was fun just to see his reaction to some of the gifts he got. He loved having nieces and nephews here especially when he could throw them in the snowbank or beat them in a game of pool, foos ball or shuffleboard.
He loved his Church family. He literally fell into the Well in addition to loving Baskin, New Albany, Hammond and Kansas City. He definitely caught on to the bed ministry from New Albany and helped create the Well Bed Ministry. He was so proud to provide for those in need. He took the challenge of building bunkbeds and queen beds for the Table of the Wilderness in Wyoming. He loved sharing the Bed Ministry at Horizonfest. John loved Justin Todd Herod. His friendship and music helped him pull stronger to his faith. Opening our home to all these churches for missions was so important to him. Cancer brought him back to the Lord and thankful for all these churches and members for showing him the way.
John is survived by his wife, Kim Phillips of Sidney, NE; daughter, Presley and Zach, grandpeanut, Aubrey June and baby girl due in 2026 all from Scottsbluff, NE; father-in-law, Clyde Baird of Gering, NE; sister-in-law, Shelly Teague of Miller’s Creek, NC; brother-in-law, Rick and Michelle Scott of Saratoga Springs, UT; brother-in-law, Jeff Scott of Gering, NE; aunt, Mary Lou Phillips, Winner, SD; nephews, Ryan, Derek, Dakota, Jeff, Dalton and Justin, nieces, Alesha, Ashlee and Kendall. great nephews, Kayden, Kamryn and Wyatt, great nieces, Caiti, Abby, Maddie and Kaiden. His crew at the Fox Theatre and many cousins and friends.
John was proceeded in death by his father, John Phillips Sr, mother, Eleanor Hammond, mother-in-law, Roberta Baird, both maternal and paternal grandparents, and uncles, aunts and cousins.
