James Edward Phillips, 85, of Grayson, passed away Monday, December 30, at his home following a long illness.

Jim was born on February 19, 1934, in Grayson, Ky., the son of the late William Stephen and Edna Jacobs Phillips.

Jim is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Deanna Smith Phillips; one son, Michael and his wife Cindy; and one grandson, Ryan, all of Grayson; one brother, Bill (Frieda) of Venice Florida; and one sister, Dr. Edna Fuson, of Delta, Alabama; and many other family and friends.

Jim was a poet, piano player, United States Army Veteran, storyteller, photographer, writer, husband, father, grandfather, and friend to anyone he met.

Jim was a longtime journalist, beginning his more than seven-decade career in 1947 at the age of thirteen when he began work sweeping floors and learning the newspaper trade at the Grayson Journal-Enquirer. As a teenager writing for The Journal, Jim covered a local story that would also appear on the front page of the Ashland Daily Independent "above the fold", which, as he always told folks was "a very big deal"!

Jim would later become the editor of the paper, covering all of the stories that happened in Grayson and Carter County. Jim was a fixture at area meetings, events, elections and much more. In 1969, he moved to broadcast journalism when he became the news director at WGOH Radio in Grayson. In addition to the news, Jim was also the morning DJ for many years. Among the stories he covered in his fifty years at Go Radio were the 1977 train derailment at Leon that denied water use to the city for several weeks, the 1988 burning of Prichard Elementary School, and the 1993 school shootings at East Carter High School. The number of stories Jim, or "Scoop" as so many called him, shared is countless across his fifty-year career at the station, a job he performed until his passing.

Jim won numerous awards and recognition at Go Radio. But the most important thing to him was making sure everything he reported was accurate and fair. His dedication to his craft was recognized when he was inducted into the 2010 Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame at the University of Kentucky. Jim was a lifetime member and a long time elder at the First Church of Christ in Grayson, where he also served as the Sunday School Superintendent for nearly sixty years. He was dedicated to serving God in all he did.

Funeral services will be held Friday at 11 a.m. at the First Church of Christ in Grayson. Burial will follow in the Grayson Memorial Park. Visitation will be held Thursday from 5 until 8 p.m. at the Church, and Friday from 9 a.m. till the service.

Malone Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements. Memorial contributions are suggested to Community Food Pantry, C/O First Church of Christ, 281 Pomroy Street, Grayson KY 41143. Condolences and memories can be shared with the family at malonefuneralhome.com.