Philip

Wertz

Philip Merrian Wertz passed away Thursday, October 27th at the Woodleaf Senior Care facility in Thomasville, Georgia after a decade-plus battle with Parkinson's Disease. Philip is a graduate of Thomasville High School and Valdosta State University.

Philip spent his working years as a teacher and debate coach. During his teaching travels, Philip taught high school first in Elijay, Georgia and later at Moultrie High School where he started their first debate team.  After Moultrie, he taught at Brooks County High School, Brookwood, and Thomasville Central High School. As a debate team and drama coach, he took his students to competitions all over the country. His hard work and dedication to his students earned him the honor of being named in the Georgia Forensics League Hall of Fame.  Philip was loved and admired by the students he taught over the years as well as the many educators that he worked with.

After retiring from teaching, Philip worked as a tour guide at the Pebble Hill Plantation for many years. He was also a source of knowledge about all things Thomasville. He knew the history of almost every historical house in the city. Another of Philip's passions was antiques. He thoroughly enjoyed collecting them and would travel great distances to procure a particular piece.

Philip is survived by two cousins, Rick Stanford of Tallahassee, Florida and Robert Stanford of Douglasville, Georgia.

Services will be held at Whiddon Shiver Funeral Home in Thomasville on Thursday, November 3 at 11:00 am. Interment will follow at Laurel Hill Cemetery. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service from 10:00 am - 11:00 am in the funeral home Chapel. In lieu of flowers, Philip would wish that donations be made to the Thomasville Historical Society.