Stephen Phelps

Stephen Wayne Phelps, age 46, died Tuesday, February 4, 2003, at the Wellmont Bristol Regional Medical Center in Bristol, TN after being hospitalized with heart complications. 

Stephen was a graduate of Indiana University, where he received his bachelor's degree in English and mathematics and received his master's degree in Linguistics from the University of Minnesota. 

At the time of Stephen's death he was the Opinion Page Editor for the Bristol Herald Courier newspaper, a position he had held since 1998 after previously serving as copy desk chief for six years. Before coming to Bristol, he had been with the Knoxville Journal for five years where he had served as city editor, assistant city editor and copy editor. From 1983 to 1986 Stephen worked as copy editor for the Colorado Springs Sun and held various positions with the Victoria Advocate, Lewisville Daily Leader, and the Ennis Press, all in Texas. 

Stephen won numerous design and editing awards as part of the copy desk teams in Knoxville and Colorado Springs and first place awards in feature writing, columns and editorials from the Texas Press Association. He was also honored by the Tennessee and Virginia Press Associations for column writing and editorials. 

In addition to being a journalist, Stephen was an educator and musician. At the time of his death, he was teaching an advanced reporting class at Emory & Henry College and had he been an adjunct instructor of English at East Tennessee State University's Bristol and Johnson City campuses. He played the acoustic and slide guitar, mandolin and the bouzouki and other instruments. He sang and played music with sister-in-law, Mary Tom Perkins as The Larkins. 

He is survived by his loving wife, Martha Perkins; his mother and step-father, Nell and Jim Merimee of West LaFayette, Ind.; and a sister, Laura Phelps of Fort Wayne, Ind. He is predeceased by his father William C. Phelps Jr. 

A celebration of Stephen's life will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, 2003, in the Farris Cremation & Funeral Center, located on the grounds of Forest Hills Memory Gardens, 19415 Lee Highway, Abingdon (276-623-2727). In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in memory of him be made to People, Incorporated, 1183 W. Main St., Abingdon, VA 24210 and ear marked for the water fund program, a cause that Stephen cared passionately about.