John Marvin Phipps was born on September 29, 1917 to Horace and Blanche Phipps who lived in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. He was one of four children. His father was a crane operator at Lukens Steel Company.

John married Eunice Higbee Gale Tomaszewski  in Wilmington, Delaware on November 23 1940.

John entered service in the Army on September 9, 1943. He trained in Fort Knox, Kentucky. After training, he was sent to Fort Mead, Maryland to the AGF Replacement Depot 1  (Armed Ground Replacement Depot 1, for solders headed to the European Theater of Operations.)

Soon after arriving at Fort Mead, John became ill. He was given furlough to recover, but did not improved and was hospitalized with Meningitis and Pneumonia. 

Private John Marin Phipps did not recover, and died on May 5, 1944 at Valley Forge Military Hospital in Phoenixville. He is buried at the Forest Hills Memorial Park, in Reiffton, Berks County.