LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — On Sunday, January 21, 2018, Deborah Phillips, 61, died at the UMass Medical Center in Worcester, Mass., from complications of a head injury. She was a resident of Oxford and grew up in Lanesborough.

She was one of those rare individuals who enjoyed organic chemistry, and her nearly photographic memory aided in her studies of pharmacology at the University of Connecticut. One of her first jobs as a pharmacist was at Nichols Pharmacy in Pittsfield.

A pioneer of veterinary pharmacy medicine nationwide, she spent 30 years at the Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine as the Director of Pharmacy Services. Her passion for animals drove her personal and professional life. She retired recently, and relished the time on her small farm with her dogs, cats, chickens, sheep, goats, donkey and duck. We all remember her playing classical music in her barn to keep the animals happy!

She is survived by her loving family, including her mother, Jean Phillips of Lanesborough; siblings Patricia of Lanesborough, Barbara of Glendale, James and wife, Joyce, of Charlton, and Christine and husband Ted of Bozeman, Mont.; niece and nephews Charles, Zachary, Benjamin and Elizabeth Lambert, Elia, Sam and Sergio DelMolino, and Ian Lange; and her aunts, Bette Davies of Oxford, N.Y., Betty Corey of Garnerville, N.Y., and Elisabeth Piazza of Scotia, N.Y.

Her father, Robert Phillips, predeceased her.

Funeral notice: The family will have a celebration of her life in the spring. In lieu of flowers, plant some bulbs in your garden, or make a donation to your local humane society.