By Ross Thornton

I’m sure most people have heard that our publisher, Tim Phillips, is leaving The Oxford EAGLE.

This is a sad time for everyone here.

For those of you who don’t know Tim, let me tell you a little about him.

I first met Tim the day I came in for a job interview at The EAGLE. I’ve never been to an interview where I was made to feel so at home as that day with Tim. Tim is an extremely kind and outgoing individual; he is also genuinely interested in the lives of those around him. After a few short minutes in the same room as him, I knew where I wanted to work.

In all of my time here no one has worked as hard or put in the sheer number of hours as Tim has. We have each come to rely and depend on him in so many ways. Yes, Tim is great at his job, but the greatest thing about Tim isn’t his work ethic, competency, or skill — it is his character.

No matter how long the hours or how difficult the task, Tim is always smiling. Tim always goes out of his way, so everyone knows that they are friends and family. Whether it was saying the prayer at our office Thanksgiving, or dressing up for our annual Halloween contest or any other event, Tim has always been there bringing warmth and light to our newspaper family.

We will all greatly miss Tim as he retires from The EAGLE. If you see Tim around town don’t hesitate to introduce yourself; he is someone who enriches the lives of all who meet him.

Ross Thornton is an advertising representative with The Oxford EAGLE. Contact him by email at
ross.thornton@oxfordeagle.com.