Tulsa Dispatcher Who Died Of COVID-19 Remembered For His Dedication

Friends, family and the law enforcement community remember the life of a Tulsa Fire and Police dispatcher, who died from COVID-19.

54-year-old Joey Phillips was a Tulsa dispatcher of 23 years, a father and a friend to many.

"With Joey, life was constantly on,” said Steve Kendall, Phillips’ life partner. “It never stopped.'"

Kendall said he is shocked his life partner was taken by COVID-19. Kendall said Phillips had symptoms of a cold and a low fever November 7, so he quarantined, then tested positive November 10.

Phillips went to the hospital last Saturday, and yesterday, his condition got worse, according to Kendall.

"It went from, 'He's doing fine' to 'We're going to have to put him in the ICU,'” said Kendall. “Then, they intubated him, and then an hour later, he had a massive coronary and passed away."

Kendall said he hopes to turn his loss into an important reminder.

"The people in those numbers that we're getting every day, those are people that didn't expect to leave this way,” said Kendall. “They didn't expect to be alone when they died."  

Phillips leaves behind a son, mother, a younger sister and three brothers.

One of his brothers, Dave Amaya, lives in Kansas. Amaya and his wife tested positive for COVID-19 in July.

"He followed an eerily similar path that I did," said Amaya.

Amaya said Phillips was treated with Remdesivir and convalescent plasma.

"He actually got some of the medications a couple of days earlier than I had gotten them, so we were not expecting this outcome," said Amaya.

Phillips' loved ones said they don't know how he became infected, but he did take the virus seriously and they hope others do, too.

Kendall said there will possibly be a celebration of life for Phillips in the spring or when there's a vaccine.