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Jim Phillips
James Lewis (Jim) Phillips, 82, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family on Nov. 30, 2009.
Services will be held on Friday, Dec. 4, with a viewing from 10-10:45 a.m., and services beginning at 11 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Glenns Ferry. Burial will follow at Glenn Rest Cemetery in Glenns Ferry. Arrangements by Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel in Mountain Home.
Jim was born Sept. 21, 1927, in Caldwell, to Henry William and Josephine Esther Phillips. At age 12, during the waning years of the Great Depression, Jim left home and began what would become a lifetime of work. He worked odd jobs, living in boarding houses, but returned to the family home as often as possible. During World War II, Jim wanted to serve his country, but was prevented from entering the military because of a perforated eardrum.
At age 21, he became a union ironworker, which became his lifelong profession. He would go on to build high rises in Salt Lake City, aerospace factories in southern California, nuclear facilities at Hanford, Wash., missile silos in Idaho, and numerous bridges and dams across the Intermountain West. Following the Great Alaska Earthquake, Jim joined his brother, Don, in Alaska to help rebuild the stateıs infrastructure.
He worked for Idaho Construction for many years, helping to construct the interstate system through Idaho. He worked on many bridges along I-84, as well as the Perrine and Hansen bridges in Twin Falls.
Jim married Novella Jean Evans in 1947 and together they had eight children. They were married for 21 years.
On June 7, 1968, Jim married Carol Beatrice Case. He raised her two young sons as his own along with the one son they would have together. In 1980 Jim and Carol purchased their first business, the Starlite Lounge, in Glenns Ferry. Jim and Carol ran the Starlite until selling it in 2009. Jim loved having his own business and enjoyed the perks of owning a lounge, having coffee and shooting pool with his morning customers.
Shortly after buying the Starlite, he started his own construction company, Appaloon Placers, Inc., which he ran for 25 years. Work he completed with Appaloon included the Front/Myrtle Connector bridges at 15th/16th Street in Boise and the reconstruction of the Flying Wye Interchange.
Jim was always very involved in his community. He settled in the Glenns Ferry area in the 1960s and lived there until his passing. He served on the Glenns Ferry City Council in the 1990s. He was an active member of the Moose Lodge for over 40 years, holding several prestigious positions, even attaining Pilgrim status.
He cared about the local children and organized fishing derbies, Easter egg hunts, and Christmas events for the children to enjoy. Jim started the local Little League and T-Ball clubs in the 1970s. He was a coach, a booster and a sponsor for many of the teams over the years.
Jim loved the outdoors and summers were spent with family in the mountains of Idaho. He also enjoyed golf and became an avid player in his later years.
He was a loving, a man of his word and a fair man to all. He loved his wife, Carol, with all his heart, saying marrying her was the best decision he ever made. Jim and Carol were sealed in the Boise Idaho LDS Temple in 2001.
Jim is survived by his wife, Carol; his children, James C. (Barbara) Craig, CO; Mike (Robin) Goldendale, WA; Terry, Palmdale, CA; David (Colleen) White Salmon, WA; Christy Allen (Jim) Nampa; Patrick, Coeur dıAlene; Susie Pond, Post Falls; Frank L. Case (Susan) Glenns Ferry; David L. Case (Lynnette) Meridian; and Keith L. (Daniel) Boise; 19 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by siblings: Don (Jan) Anchorage, AK; Verna Kranz, Bellingham, WA; Gordon, Torrance, CA; Shirley, Caldwell; Jerry, Bellingham, WA; Jack (Joanne) Grandview, WA; Rosemary Terry (David) Nampa.
He was preceded in death by his parents, three infant siblings, his brother Bill, sisters Florence and Donna, and a son, Victor.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Jimıs name to the Glenns Ferry High School Baseball Program c/o Glenns Ferry High School 639 N Bannock, Glenns Ferry, ID 83623.