Phillip Layne Smith, 67, of Brodhead, Kentucky, passed away on June 10th, 2026, after a short illness. Phillip was born in Somerset, Kentucky, on January 1, 1959, to Calvin Smith and Ruth Coffey Smith. In fact, his birth qualified him for a "First Baby of the New Year" radio station contest prize, but the station running the contest was his dad's competitor, and they refused to let Phillip be the winning baby.

He was the third-born of six children in his family. While he was a middle-child in the big picture, he was also the youngest for the first six years of his life. Phillip liked to joke about being an overlooked middle child, but he also had to admit to being the spoiled youngest for his early years.

Later in life, Phillip began to follow sports and became a fan of the Louisville Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, Cincinnati Bengals, and whoever else Brad was following. He enjoyed spending time watching movies and sports with Caleb and watching his grandkids play sports as well.

Phillip reliably sent his extended family a Sunday morning text message with an uplifting message and a Bible verse. He also kept the family updated on threatening local weather, worldwide earthquakes, and rocket launches. As a young boy, he saw the Apollo 14 launch from the side of a Florida highway in 1971, and it fueled his love for NASA, space, and space exploration.

Starting in high school, Phillip worked in the family radio business at WRSL in Stanford. He also worked at WHIR and WKLO in Danville and at WCPT-TV in Crossville, Tennessee. Later in life, he worked in the medical field at Rockcastle Regional Hospital. From 2020-2026, Phillip helped produce the video stream for WPBK-FM's sports coverage. He enjoyed this role as it gave him more time with Brad, who was the play-by-play announcer.

Phillip was a devoted member of Moreland Christian Church where he managed their sound and video booth and streamed their services online. For many years, he traveled to Haiti with HOPE 53 Ministries of which he was a founding member.

Phillip never missed a Facebook friend's birthday and was equally friendly in person. Before his health worsened, he enjoyed riding motorcycles and was a member of the VROC motorcycle group. When Caleb was small, he would ride in the motorcycle sidecar with his mom and dad to VROC rallies.

Phillip is survived by his sons: Caleb Smith and Brad (Lee Ann) Smith; his grandchildren: Jack Smith, Brayden "Bear" Smith, and Becca Smith; his sister: Amy Smith (Jim) Bastin; his brothers: Calvin (Leticia) Smith, Jonathan (Dolores) Smith, and Joseph Smith; and many nieces and nephews. He also leaves behind his beloved dog, Jules. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, David Smith.

Visitation will be held at Moreland Christian Church on Sunday, June 14th, from 4-6 p.m.  A funeral service will immediately follow at 6 p.m., officiated by Brother David Smith. Phillip's wishes to be cremated will be honored after his services. W.L. Pruitt Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Honorary pallbearers are Jack Smith, "Bear" Smith, Gary Griffin, Jim Kelley, Paul Rankin, Joey Caltagerone, David Sears, Jeff Wooten, Woods Adams, and Clayton Hart.

In lieu of flowers, financial donations may be made to support Phillip's youngest son Caleb.  These can be made at any PBK Bank branch - reference Caleb Smith account in care of Lee Ann Smith.