Jim Phelps, age 60, of Grinnell, died on Thursday, May 8, 2014, at his home of a heart attack. A celebration of life gathering will be held from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Monday, June 2, 2014, at the Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell. Memorials may be directed to the Grinnell Athletic Booster Club, mailed in care of the Smith Funeral Home, PO Box 368, Grinnell, Iowa 50112. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www.smithfh.com. James Robert (Jim) Phelps was born the son of DeLoss Orr Phelps and Margaret Elizabeth (Bangham) Phelps on September 6, 1953, in Grinnell, Iowa. He was raised in Grinnell and graduated from Grinnell High School with the class of 1971. He then attended Northwest Missouri State in Maryville, Missouri. Upon his return to Grinnell, Jim briefly worked in the Grinnell College mailroom before gaining employment with the General Telephone Company. Jim worked as a CTI investigator for General Telephone and later Iowa Telecom and Verizon, from the mid 70's until his retirement in the mid 2000's. Jim's self-depreciating manner and simple methodology made him one of the most effective and highly valued investigators of corporate fraud for those companies. After his mother's passing in 1994, Jim became the sole caretaker for his father until his death in 1996, all the while continuing his work for GTE. Jim – "Jimmy" to his many friends and classmates – was an avid sports fan devoted to his beloved Grinnell Tigers. While serving as manager of the boys basketball team his senior year, he began compiling statistics for the team. That statistical work became his lifelong passion and hobby and continued uninterrupted through the Tiger's run to the State Tournament in 2013-2014. Jim's statistics were immaculate and incredibly detailed on every player that ever wore a Tiger jersey during that time period. He was a walking encyclopedia of Grinnell Tiger lore and could recite from memory the statistical performance of every Grinnell Tiger. Jim was present at almost every game in every sport – home or away – whether it be boys or girls. He was a devoted fan of the Minnesota Twins and followed them on the radio whenever possible. Jim enjoyed spending time with his nieces, his grandnephew and grandnieces, as well as his brother and sister in law. He also loved talking with his neighbors, with whom conversations always turned to the weather and of course Grinnell Tiger sports. Jim was a master of corny jokes and incredibly bad puns, all of which he pulled on family, friends and coworkers alike with his great relish. He delighted in the collective groans of all those who were graced with his sense of humor. Jim is survived by his brother Jeffrey (Patricia) Phelps of Grinnell; his two nieces, Hannah (Jamie) Phelps Proctor of Chicago, Illinois; Margaret (Bill) Doyle of Ankeny, Iowa; his grandnephew Andrew Doyle, and grandnieces McKayla and Izabel Doyle, all of Ankeny, Iowa. Jim was preceded in death by his parents.