James “Jim” Edward Phelan was born in St. Louis, Missouri on September 21, 1944, to Louis E. Phelan and Beatrice A. Phelan, and passed away on May 23, 2024, in Allen, Texas. Jim was preceded in death by his parents, sister, Kathleen, and brother Michael. He is survived by his wife, Rebeckah “Becky”; daughter, Christine; son, Kevin; and their mother, Alaxine. He is also survived by daughter-in-law, Lisa; granddaughters, Charlotte and Landry; brothers, Robert (Bob); Gerald (Jerry and Cathy); and Kenneth (Ken and Jane); and many dearly loved nieces and nephews.
After graduating in 1962 from Chaminade College Preparatory School in St. Louis, Missouri, Jim attended St. Mary’s University of San Antonio, Texas. He took a break from the University during which he lived in St. Louis and served in the United States Army Reserves. He returned to San Antonio, and in 1970 earned a bachelor’s degree (BBA-Marketing) from St. Mary’s. The following year he was Honorably Discharged from the Army Reserves.
Jim was well suited to a career in marketing. He was charming, funny, and witty. But underneath the charm, he was detail-oriented, hard-working, and relentless. Most of his career was in the Insurance industry consulting with credit unions. Jim was a long-time, loyal employee of SWBC in San Antonio, Texas, and throughout his career he developed close friendships with owners, Charlie Amato and Gary Dudley, his clients, and peers. He retired from SWBC in 2008, but the friendships continued.
He loved all animals, especially his favorite horse, Sham. In recent years, Jim rode an electric bike in his neighborhood which he named “eSham”. Those early morning bike rides brought back wonderful memories of horseback rides, which often included Christine and Kevin (mostly Christine), as well as the children of his friends.
Jim was an avid golfer, and he had many fond memories of golf outings with his brothers, clients, friends, and his son Kevin. When he retired, he really enjoyed golfing with a group of Sigma fraternity brothers he first met at St. Mary’s. Their golf scores improved as they made up their own rules of golf, such as, “our wives won’t let us play in the sand,” making it easier to toss the ball out of a sand trap rather than digging in deeper.
Of all his life’s passions, Jim’s greatest joy was being with his granddaughters. When his wife Becky retired in 2017, they moved to Allen, Texas to be closer to Charlotte and Landry just as they were learning to walk. He loved getting a hug, watching a volleyball game, or just being able to see them. The house was delightfully decorated with their artwork and pictures.
A private ceremony will be held to celebrate Jim’s life. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the International Essential Tremor Foundation, Chaminade College Preparatory School, or St. Mary’s University in his memory.