John Raymond Phillips

June 17, 2016

Service Details

John Raymond Phillips, 80, passed away Friday, June 17, 2016, at his home in Leesburg, Florida.

Phillips was born and raised in Iowa City, IA. He graduated from John Carroll and from the University of Iowa’s College of Law. He was a member of the American, Iowa, Illinois, and Ohio Bar Associations and practiced law at the Chicago Regional Office of the National Labor Relations Board. From 1965-67, he was an associate at Taft, Stettinius & Hollister in Cincinnati, OH. From 1967-92 he was a labor and employment law partner in Des Moines, IA, primarily with Rogers, Phillips & Swanger; and Nymaster, Goode, McLaughlin, Emery & O’Brien. He represented private and public sector employers and dealt with 51 state and national labor organizations. He chaired the Labor Law Committee of the Iowa State Bar Association and was listed in Naifeh and Smith, The Best Lawyers in America.

Phillips represented the City of Des Moines, Deere & Co., Grinnell College, and Iowa Association of School Boards in Iowa Supreme Court cases and members of Local 287, Cement, Lime, Gypsum & Allied Workers, AFL-CIO of West Des Moines, Geo. A. Hormel & Co., Procter & Gamble Co., and U.S. West Communications in federal court litigation.

He retired in 1992, and moved to Florida. In 1996 he authored The Future of Labor Management Cooperation: A Sensible Perspective, published by CCH Inc. Since 1994, he has arbitrated labor-management disputes in the Southeast involving, among others, Broward County, Cities of Jacksonville and St. Petersburg, Anheuser Busch Corp., DuPont DeNemours Co., Hess Oil, and the Social Security Administration.

Phillips is survived by his wife of 52 years, Sally Nolan Phillips; his daughter, Anne (Joe) Cestare; sons, John Jr. (Laura) of West Des Moines, IA and Tom (Suzie) of Palm Beach Gardens, FL; five grandchildren; and his brother, Patrick (Janet) of Chicago, IL.

Visitation will be held Sunday, July 17, 2016 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Hamilton’s on Westown Parkway, 3601 Westown Parkway in West Des Moines, IA and a Mass of Christian Burial on Monday, July 18 at 10:00 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 1627 Grand Ave. in West Des Moines, IA. Private Christian Burial is planned on Monday at Glendale Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to Cornerstone Hospice in Tavares, FL or the Alzheimer’s Association. Condolences may be expressed at www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com.

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