James Michael Phillips, age 56, passed away on Tuesday, June 9, 2020, at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C, after a courageous battle with bile duct cancer, exacerbated by primary sclerosing cholangitis. He was the loving husband of Sheila Lynn Phillips. They shared 23 years of marriage together.
James was born in Providence, Rhode Island, on October 17, 1963, to parents James Edmund Phillips and Dorothy Scacco Phillips. He grew up in nearby Johnston, Rhode Island, and later attended Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. He graduated in 1986 with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice. He then moved to Washington, D.C. where he began a lifelong career of public service in the federal government.
While working for the Department of Justice in the early 1990s, he met his wife Sheila, and they married on September 21, 1996. They raised their children, Courtney and Zachary, in Stafford, Virginia. During this time, James worked for the Department of Homeland Security for 17 years. He most recently served as the Director of Legislative Affairs in the Office of the Secretary.
A loving husband and father, a caring friend, and a devoted employee, James will be remembered as compassionate, dedicated, and wise. He was a mentor, confidant, and ally to many, and his presence touched the lives of even more.
He is survived by his wife Sheila, his daughter Courtney, his son Zachary, and his dog Niko Moose.
A visitation will be held at Mountcastle Turch Funeral Home on Wednesday, June 24, 2020 from 5:00pm to 9:00pm. A memorial service will be held at Saint Francis of Assisi Parish on Thursday, June 25, at 11:00am.
To honor James’s life, donations can be made at http://www.cholangiocarcinoma.org/phillips, to support the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation and to raise funds for research related to bile duct cancer.
