James Robert Phillips

On Tuesday, August 9th, James Robert Phillips, 90, passed away peacefully at his home in Council Bluffs, surrounded by his family. He was born July 28, 1932, in Council Bluffs, Iowa, where he lived most of his life.

Jim was the son of Orville James and Margaret Verna Phillips. A graduate of Abraham Lincoln High School, Jim fondly remembered working as a young man as a soda jerk at Taffe Drug, next to the Strand Theater on Broadway. During his service in the U.S. Navy, he learned the electrician trade, which served him well in his long career with Northwestern Bell Telephone Company, where he worked his way up from lineman, to installer, to office manager, and finally into computer program design at the Omaha offices. Jim designed the Mechanized Time Reporting system and led its implementation across the Midwest. After his retirement, he led a crew each summer to build the set and create the “village” of the Renaissance Faire of the Midlands. He also took pleasure in working several months of the year at H&R Block, preparing tax returns. He loved home improvement projects, and put his considerable skills at the disposal of many friends and all of his children.

He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. He is preceded in death by his sister, Janice (Frank) Zezulak. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Lilly Phillips; his children, Tamara (Michael) Pavich, Lori (Kent) Stopak, Peter (Kay) Phillips, and David (Angel Zellers) Phillips; his grandchildren, Sara Stopak, Erin (Kyle) McKee, Isabella (fiancé Nolan Wallace) Phillips, Christian Phillips, and Grace Phillips; his great-grand-daughters, Gwen McKee and Margaret “Maggie” McKee; his niece, Doris (Delbert) Reeves; and his “adopted” son, Tony (Doris) Ruano.

Funeral Service will be on Saturday, August 13th, 2022 at 10:00 AM at Hoy Kilnoski Funeral Home. The family will receive friends for visitation the hour prior to the service, also at the funeral home. Luncheon to follow the service.