Michael Sheridan Phelps

Michael Sheridan Phelps, age 56 passed away at home on Tuesday, August 30th 2022, in Norcross, Georgia. Michael is survived by his Partner of 17 years, Robert Frankson, his daughter Kashmir Caruso Cohran, his mother Joyce Bowman Phelps, his sisters Kristen Phelps Argo and Keran Phelps Mcculloch, his nephews Riley Mcculloch and Gabel Argo, his niece Abigail Mcculloch and his grandchildren Morgan, Helena and Bo Cohran. He is preceded in death by his father Blain Phelps and his brother Jeremy Phelps.

Michael was born in Moultrie, Georgia. He was adopted at birth by Blain Phelps and Sherry Phelps. After his adoptive parents divorced, he resided with Blain Phelps and his second wife, Joyce Bowman Phelps. Michael tried to identify and locate his birth parents but discovered that the records of their identities were destroyed in a fire and, so too, all hopes of knowing who they were.

Michael attended Pebblebrook High School in Mableton, Georgia. He did not graduate with his class but later obtained a GED in 1984. His professional career of over 20 years was spent primarily in retail sales and department managerial roles. In 2006 he left the workforce due to multiple health issues. The afflicting conditions resided deep within him and to the casual observer would not have been obvious from his physical appearance. This dichotomy between what was occurring within him and his outward appearance sometimes subjected him to harsh judgments by those who did not know him and for whom he often had a terse, “bad-ass” retort to the question, “what do you do?”.

Michael was an avid reader. He enjoyed learning and educating himself through books, articles, videos and documentaries. His favorite subjects were Religion, Politics, Nature, True Crime, Human Rights and current affairs. He was raised in the traditions of the Baptist and

Methodist faiths, then became an Atheist but subsequently converted to Roman Catholic and then reverted to Atheism. At one time he aspired to become a professor of religion. He read many primary religious texts, in their entirety, and became knowledgeable on a wide range of religious subjects.

Michael loved all things odd, dark, scary and spooky. He enjoyed all types of Horror Movies and TV shows, well made or not, along with Science Fiction and Fantasy. He had a loud, hearty laugh. His humor, matching his interests, was often dark and twisted, much to the delight of people on his wavelength. I always knew when he was leaving his medical appointments because I would hear loud laughter from the staff shortly before he exited the examination rooms. Even as he was suffering he knew how to make people happy.

Michael grew up gay in a time and in a community when being gay was not merely unacceptable, it was downright dangerous. His pain and suffering connected him to the plight and pain of abused animals and misunderstood people. His global view about the struggles of marginalized people, animals and the planet itself worried him greatly, often leading to inconsolable despair.

Michael believed that his humanity was not valued nor that he brought joy to this world and into the lives of the people who knew him. He was his harshest critic, but he was mistaken about the value he brought into the world and how people like me felt about him! He will be missed greatly and will be dear to me, always.

A memorial service for Michael will be held Saturday, September 17, 2022 at 1:00 PM at Floral Hills Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 3150 Lawrenceville Highway, Tucker, GA 30084.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.floralhillsfuneral.com for the PHELPS family.