Funeral services were held at noon on Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025, at Germantown Baptist Church for Phoebe Jackson Corder, 78, of Collierville, Tenn., who died peacefully on Tuesday, Aug. 26, in Collierville, Tenn., following a long illness. Burial followed in Memorial Park in Memphis, Tenn., and a reception followed at Germantown Baptist Church. Visitation was held from 10:30 a.m. until service time at the church.
Phoebe was born on June 19, 1947, in Grenada, to a loving family and community that shaped the foundation of her life. She graduated from Grenada High School and attended Delta State University where she began building lifelong friendships and memories. On July 11, 1965, she married her high school sweetheart, Jerry Corder, and together they built a life rooted in love, faith and family.
The couple eventually moved to Memphis, Tenn., following Jerry’s career with Holiday Inns, Inc. Later, in 1988, Phoebe and Jerry founded a successful hospitality company, designing and furnishing hotels until their retirement in 2019. In retirement, Phoebe especially enjoyed the fellowship and support of her beloved community at The Farms at Bailey Station.
A devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother, Phoebe’s greatest joy came from her family. She was the proud mother of two daughters, Lisa Marie Harris (Matthew) and Beverly Shelley Pearson (Clint). She adored her six grandchildren – Stephen Harris, Michael Harris, Palmer Shelley, Emme Shelley, Lana Pearson and Andrew Pearson – and treasured her great grandchildren, Owen, Ella Grace, Briggs, Eira and Ani.
Phoebe lived her life with deep faith and commitment. She was a longtime member of Germantown Baptist Church, and her friendships and fellowship there enriched her life. She also cherished her time at Pickwick Lake and her dear circle of friends, including the Finchettes of Grenada.
Phoebe was known for her grace, warmth and sense of style. She always looked her best – elegant, polished and a little fancy – reflecting the care and joy she brought into every part of her life. Her daughters often joked that they did not inherit their mother’s “fancy gene,” but admired the beauty and confidence she carried so naturally.
Her parents, John Sidney and Kathryn Jackson of Grenada; her siblings, Larry Sheffield, Bobbye Kaye Shields and Sydney Gail Jackson, and her dear son-in-law, J.P. Shelley, preceded Phoebe in death.
Phoebe will be remembered for her devotion to family, her strong faith and the beauty she brought into the lives of those who loved her.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be directed to Germantown Baptist Church, Mosaic Memphis Ministries or Brinkley Heights Ministries.
Proverbs 31:25–28, 30–31: “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her… Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.”
Collierville Funeral Home in Collierville, Tenn., was in charge of arrangements.
