Colonel James H. Phifer, USAF (RET) went to his heavenly home on March 20, 2017 at the age of 98. Colonel Phifer was a resident of Universal City, Texas for approximately 45 years having moved there upon his retirement from the Air Force.
Colonel Phifer was a native of Beaumont, Texas where he attended elementary and secondary school.
Colonel Phifer entered the military service at the onset of World War II as a Private in the United States Army Medical Corps. Later, he transferred to the Army Air Corps and attended pilot training. At the end of World War II he chose to make the Air Force a career and as he recently put it “ I was privileged to serve as Commander of some of Uncle Sam’s Air Bases on four continents”. His overseas assignments included tours in Austria, the Panama Canal Zone, Hawaii, Japan, Libya and Spain. His stateside assignments included tours at the Pentagon and several bases in Texas, Louisiana and Alabama. He served a tour of duty on the Faculty at Air Command and Staff College, a tour as Director of Personnel with the Human Resources Research Center plus a tour with the Defense Intelligence Agency.
One of his most prized and cherished awards was an Honorary Lifetime Membership given to him by the Air Force Sergeants Association.
Colonel Phifer was a 32 Degree Mason. He was accepted into the Masonic Lodge while stationed in Panama in 1957 and went through Scottish Rite while stationed in Japan. He has been a member of Randolph Lodge #1268 and Scottish Rite Valley of San Antonio since 1974.
He was preceded in death by Rose Phifer, his wife for 56 years. Survivors include his niece, Carol Haley of Houston, Texas, with whom he has always been very close; Conchita Perez, originally from Seville, Spain, who has lived with the Phifers for 47 years and who he lovingly referred to as “My Spanish Daughter”; Nephews Pat Shannon of New Orleans, Louisiana, Craig Shannon of Denver, Colorado and Dr. Don Shannon of Coldspring, Texas.
Visitation will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Friday, March 24, 2017 at Colonial Funeral Home, 625 Kitty Hawk Road, Universal City, Texas 78148 . A Chapel Service will be held at 1:00 p.m. Interment with Military and Masonic Honors will be at 2:00 p.m. at Chapel Hill Memorial Park, 7735 Gibbs Sprawl Rd, San Antonio, TX 78239.
In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests donations in Colonel Phifer's memory be made to the charity of choice.
Arrangements under the direction of Colonial Funeral Home, Universal City, Texas.
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