Dr. Philip Allan Billings passed away peacefully in his home on Aug. 20, 2025, at the age of 81. He was born in Canton, Ohio, on Sept. 7, 1943, to Wilbur and Katherine Billings. He attended Lincoln High School before moving on to Heidelberg College, where he forged his educational path and met his future wife, Sue, whom he married in 1966. He later earned his master’s and Ph.D. in English from Michigan State University in 1974.
In 1970, he and Sue left their friends and family in the Midwest for the small town of Annville, Pennsylvania. Dr. Billings would be a professor of English at Lebanon Valley College for 44 years, where he shared his love of literature and writing with generations of Lebanon Valley students and was a loyal supporter of the college’s athletic and theatre programs. Dr. Billings was the 2007 recipient of the Thomas Rhys Vickroy Teaching Award, and he delivered the LVC commencement address in 2008. The LVC campus became a second home for him, Sue, and his two sons, Josh and Dan. He maintained an office on campus in retirement, where he continued to enjoy writing and emailing friends and family until the day before his passing.
Dr. Billings was a published author and wrote two books, Porches and Porches Volume Two, where he created poems based on recorded interviews of citizens of Annville and combined them with portraits by local artist Dan Massad. A third book, When We Talk About War, was dedicated to the stories of war veterans from Annville and surrounding areas.
A huge sports fan, Phil loved his home state’s Cleveland Browns and Indians and attended many games during his childhood. He was a high school basketball, baseball, and football player at Lincoln High and went on to play football for four years at Heidelberg. He was the rare jock who also loved reading, writing, and intellectual pursuits. There was not a day in his adult life when he didn’t have a book or magazine in his hand at some point.
Travel was a huge part of his life, and he and Sue made it a priority from early in their marriage. They spent a sabbatical in Cambridge, England, in 1977 with Josh. Future journeys included the western United States, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and Crete, where Phil took a group of LVC students for a semester abroad in 1997. Alongside his love for travel was his love for music. His diverse tastes in blues, country, gospel, classical, folk, and rock (often accompanied by the “Canton strut”) provided the soundtrack of his life.
Preceding Dr. Billings in death were his beloved parents, Wilbur and Katherine Billings. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Sue Billings; sons, Josh Billings (Jennifer) and Dan Billings (Evelyn); older brother, Wilbur Billings (Linda); younger sister, Barbara Hazelbaker; and brother-in-law, Richard Sanderson. He also leaves behind five grandchildren, Mason, Cooper, Kellen, Siena, and Lyla. His final 19 years as Pop Pop were some of the best and most important of his life. His love for his grandchildren was beyond words, though he did document nearly every visit with them for many years.
A celebration of life will be held at Miller Chapel on the campus of Lebanon Valley College on Saturday, Sept. 20. Visitation will begin at 2:30 p.m., followed by a service at 4 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Lebanon Valley College or the charity of your choice.
