James C. Phelps

He was preceded in death by his wife of sixty-six years, Marie Phelps, two sisters and four brothers.

He is survived by his son, R. Randall Phelps of San Antonio; son, Ronald C. Phelps and his wife, Kris, of Austin; grandson, Brian Phelps of Houston; granddaughter, Paige Ann Naugher and husband, Lane, of Houston; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Jim married Marie Erwin April 25, 1942. After serving his country as a First Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps during World War II, he attended Oklahoma State University receiving bachelor and master degrees in Industrial Engineering.

For his contributions to the oil and gas industry, he was inducted into the Oklahoma State University Engineering Hall of Fame in 1971. That same year, Jim and Marie Phelps moved to San Antonio when, after 18 years with Continental Oil Company, he accepted a position as President, Chief Operating Officer and board member of Tesoro Petroleum Corporation.

After retiring from Tesoro in 1981, Jim had a consulting business. He served on the board of several oil and gas companies including Abraxas Petroleum and the Osborn Heirs Company.

Jim Phelps was committed to public service. He served on the Advisory Committee for the School of Industrial Engineering at Oklahoma State University and the Advisory Committee for the School of Business at University of Texas at San Antonio. He served as President of the San Antonio Chapter of the American Heart Association and President of United Way of San Antonio.

He was a longtime member of the Board of Southwest Texas Methodist Hospital and also served as President of the Southwest Texas Methodist Hospital Foundation for five years. Jim was also an active member of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.

Jim Phelps will be remembered by those who love him as a loving husband of sixty-six years whose devotion to Marie never waned. His love for his children and grandchildren was unconditional yet, by his example, we learned the importance of education, the value of hard work, the power of commitment and the necessity of perseverance.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to the charity of your choice.