John L. Phipps

John L. Phipps, age 71, of Grants Pass, died Sunday, December 18, 2011 at a local adult foster home.

A memorial service will be 1:00 p.m., Saturday, January 7, 2012 at Fruitdale Elementary School with Pastor Mark Skudstad officiating. Private interment will be at Hillcrest Memorial Park. Hull & Hull Funeral Directors are in charge of arrangements.

Remembrances may be made to Edgewater Christian Fellowship Missions Fund, 101 Assembly Way, Grants Pass, Oregon 97526.

John was born April 11, 1940 in Riverside, California to Earl & Blanche Phipps. In 1958 he graduated from Corona Senior High School in Corona, California and tried out for the San Diego Padres baseball team. On March 18, 1961 in Corona he married Susan Foreman and just this year celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. In 1962 he graduated from Cal Poly Pomona with a degree in Ag Services and Inspection. He then moved to San Jose, California and worked for the County of Santa Clara from 1963 to 1970. At that time he moved to San Bernardino where he was on staff at Campus Crusade for Christ in charge of the grounds and maintenance at Arrowhead Springs. After returning to San Jose he started a landscaping business which he owned and operated for five years before moving to Grants Pass in 1978. In Grants Pass he purchased Abbot Pest Control which he renamed Highland Pest Control and he continued to own and operate this business until 1995. At that time he continued doing landscape work for several years until his health forced his retirement. A ten year battle with Parkinson’s eventually robbed him of his ability to do the things he loved most, but he never lost his kind and gentle spirit.

John attended Applegate Christian Fellowship and later Edgewater Christian Fellowship and enjoyed serving the Lord. He was a member of the Rogue Snowmobile Club and served as vice-president.

His hobbies included hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, gardening, bird watching, sharing the Lord with others, working with his hands, and many other outdoor and sports activities.

In addition to his wife, Susan Phipps of Grants Pass, Oregon; he is survived by a daughter, Tracey Kupfer and husband Rick of San Jose, California; two sons, Greg Phipps and wife Kim of Pleasanton, California and Brian Phipps and wife Nicole of Hillsboro, Oregon; a sister, Joyce Sisti and husband Herb of Paso Robles, California; a brother, Larry Phipps and wife Barbara of Oakridge, Oregon; six grandchildren; and two adopted families, Ben & Vicky Borman and children, Ben, Shawn, and Haley, and Randy & Jeri Bray and children Danny and David.