Born in Roanoke, Virginia on April 1, 1937, Jo was the daughter of the late Josephine Yeatman Phelps and Roscoe Duke Phelps, Jr. A graduate of Converse College, she was a teacher, artist, homemaker, and philanthropist. She committed her life to preserving the classical elements of our civilization that bring beauty to life: music, philosophy, and the visual arts. While living in New York City, Jo was a board member of the Metropolitan Opera Company and was an active supporter of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She enjoyed traveling the world and her travel experiences broadened her understanding of how art and music enrich and enhance life. After returning to Macon in 2006, she focused her efforts on enhancing the arts in Macon; many organizations benefited from her generosity. She was a Board member of the Central Georgia Opera Guild, purchasing the necessary equipment to bring her beloved opera to the Douglass Theatre through the Metropolitan Opera Live in HD. Mercer University was also a significant beneficiary of Jo's philanthropic interests. While she supported a number of programs at Mercer, she was a great supporter of Mercer's Townsend School of Music and its McDuffie Center for Strings where she provided endowment funds for the Fabian Concert Series as well as the establishment of the G. Leslie Fabian Chair of Music. Following these gifts, she later established the Jo Phelps Fabian Center for Musical Excellence which will support the finest educational programs for outstanding aspiring musicians. “Through the invisible hands of music, the soul is touched and healed,” she said as an explanation for her gift.
In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her daughter, Margaret Phelps Matthews, and her husbands, Dr. Leo A. Erbele and G. Leslie Fabian.
She is survived by her brother, Roscoe Duke Phelps III of Roanoke, Virginia; stepchildren, John M. Erbele, Olivia E. Skey, Peter W. Erbele, Mary E. Bowman; and step-grandchildren, Jessica B. Donaldson, Martin P. Erbele, Virginia E. Weaver, Samuel T. Bowman, Allison E. Allen, and William P. Erbele.
A memorial service will be held at Snow’s Cherry Street Chapel on Tuesday, March 19th at 11:00 am with Rev. Paul Dziadul officiating. The family will receive friends at the funeral home following the service. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Macon Pops, Mercer’s Townsend School of Music, or Little Carnegie of the South.
Visit www.snowscs.com to express tributes.
Snow's Memorial Chapel, Cherry Street, has charge of arrangements.
