James Donald “Jim" Phillips ascended to his Father and Savior in the early hours of Friday, February 12, 2021, after a mostly lifelong bout with diabetes. He was 84.
James is survived by his wife of 49 years, Mary Elizabeth Phillips of League City, who was at his side during his last hours; three sons, Russell Todd Phillips of Houston, Troy Don Phillips of Fort Worth and James William Johnson of League City; sisters Hazel Joan Graham of Austin, Bessie June Maxwell of Friendswood, Edna Laverne Pratt of League City, Dolores Ann “Loree” Strege of League City and brother Kenneth Lewis Phillips of Stavanger, Norway.
Other survivors include granddaughters Elizabeth Abigail Wilson of Houston, Zoe Alexis Phillips of Fort Worth, Emily Ann Tyson of Texas City and grandson James William “Jimmy” Johnson Jr. of Bayou Vista; great granddaughter Hallie Hogue and great grandson Haden Hogue, both of Seabrook; daughters-in-law Karen Phillips of Houston and Mary Jane Phillips of Fort Worth; brother-in-law Harold Strege of League City, sisters-in-law Beverly Gillespie of League City, Daisy Phillips of Crockett and Trine Haukebø of Stavanger, Norway; 22 total nieces and nephews.
James was preceded in death by his parents, John Monroe Phillips and Bessie Ann Cates Phillips Starnes; sister Bertha Louella Lopez and brothers Harvey Bee Phillips, Alva Lee Phillips, John Carl “J.C.” Phillips, Calvin Leroy Phillips and Claude Edward Phillips; father-in-law Bill McKenzie, mother-in-law Dorothy McKenzie and brother-in-law Guy Gillespie.
Born May 5, 1936 in Falfurrias, Texas, James was the ninth of 12 children born to John M. and Bessie Phillips from 1923-1946. John was a migrant farmer who settled his family from Hot Springs, Ark., to Carter, Okla., then Morton, Texas, then Kenedy and eventually Premont -- both in south Texas. At one point, nine Phillips children were enrolled in Premont schools, but only James (Class of 1955) and later sister Loree earned their diplomas. Only James was able to attend college.
It was a life-altering path, initially made possible by James’ mentor Laurel Acres, an influential pastor and tent revivalist who founded an early evangelical church in Premont around 1950. When not working fields, attending school, playing end for the Premont High football team or singing in church or at youth rallies, James was one of Laurel’s right hands. Eventually he led music at Laurel’s tent revivals as a late teenager and after high school.
With Laurel’s help, James entered two-year college Southwestern Bible Institute in Waxahachie. While working with a church youth group, he met teenager Mary Elizabeth McKenzie, an upperclasswoman on Southwestern’s high school campus. He was three years older. His efforts to court hit rock bottom; an unimpressed Mary declined his overtures.
The just-friends parted ways when James moved to Baytown to work and attend Lamar State College of Technology (Lamar Tech) in Beaumont, Texas, where he earned his accounting degree in 1964. He met Bobbie Shaw Rucker at (where else) church. Their eventual marriage produced sons Russell Todd (1964) and Troy Don (1967) before their move to Pasadena.
At 29, James was diagnosed with Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes and fought the disease for life. It cost him nearly all vision in one eye, but he maintained his fitness, never smoked or drank, and worked his way around a notorious sweet tooth to beat diabetes for many decades.
Unmarried in late 1970, James began attending Berean Temple near Pasadena. Coincidence or not, the piano player was a single Mary McKenzie. One Sunday, he sketched of a cup of coffee with “after?” on a tithing envelope and directed the offering plate to her. Despite her caution, she agreed to meet him at the Dot Coffee Shop on Houston’s Gulf Freeway. They were married in Oklahoma in November of 1971.
Settling in League City, James helped raise Mary’s son James Johnson and also became “Dad” to him. He was a role model and rock of Mary’s rather extended McKenzie clan, and their home was a revolving open door to a massive Phillips family that included 31 grandchildren by his parents. As for his medical needs, if ever there was a caregiver meant for James, it was Mary.
James spent nearly 30 years working for Texaco Oil in Houston before retiring in his 50s. He and Mary became baseball enthusiasts, loving it together always after son James’ high school playing days. He also loved singing to Mary’s playing, her cooking, watching PBS and rodeo, fixing cars/tinkering, southern gospel and classic country music, western fiction (Louis L’Amour), worshipping at church, yardwork, barbequing, Gulf seafood, Cracker Barrel, and seeing his sons and grandkids do their things. James picked up a love (and skill) of dominos from dad John Monroe Phillips decades earlier.
They traveled to Ecuador to visit his brother Claude, then later Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, Tahiti, Alaska and anywhere Granddaddy's “house on wheels” (as granddaughter Zoe dubbed it) could take them. Sharing adventures were best friends Sonny and Mary Schultz, Ed and Bobbie Hawkins, Heinz and June Richter, Roy and Rosalie McBride, among others.
Mary and James remained lifelong friends with his former wife Bobbie (now Adams) and her second husband Ralph "Skip" Adams, routinely celebrating special family occasions together.
Difficulty with diabetes, age and neuropathy greatly reduced their travels. Before the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, James spent two days a week in Galveston at a “getaway” facility for older adults. He sang and played his harmonica, charmed the staff and other clients, helped out where allowed and tried to raise spirits overall. Sadly, his latest purpose gave way to a pandemic.
To us all, "Dad" was a devoted Christian, husband, father, brother, grandfather, son, uncle and friend. He could be stubborn (even frustrating) but was gentle at his core. He was calm in crisis, overcame a shy side with humor and song, let his Lord above all guide him, saw to his mother's care for decades, and defeated challenges of an impoverished early life and debilitating disease. It took 15 years, but he finally impressed Mary, too.
Rest, sing and laugh, Dad, we love and will miss you always.
– Troy Phillips, son of deceased
Visitation: Friday, February 26, 5-8 p.m., Forest Park East Funeral Home, Webster, Texas; Service/Interment: Saturday, February 27, 2 p.m., Forest Park East FH and Cemetery, Webster
(Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.ForestParkEast-FHC.com for the Phillips family.)
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