Paul Philip Phelan died November 20, 2020.

P aul was born in Ellsworth, Kansas on August 6, 1955. The son of a self-proclaimed "Irish dirt farmer" and a strong-willed woman.

P aul  was an amazingly talented folk artist, a free thinker and the hardest working man any of us knew.  He started his own painting/contracting company from the age of 17.  While he occasionally ventured into other occupations, he was a painter all of his life.  That man could paint!

H e loved all kinds of music, working in his garden, watching the Chiefs and the Shockers and just building a bonfire, drinking a beer and hanging out with his buddies.  His rugged lifestyle and love of nature, watching and enduring the changing seasons from  his 19 ^th Century wood-heated farmhouse were essential parts of his pursuit of happiness.

P aul always told it like it was and we all loved him for it!  We will miss his great hugs, his irreverence and his frequent exclamation "JESUS"!

P aul leaves behind his  much-loved son, Gabriel Phelan, his mother, Jeanette Phelan (husband Leo DeBrock), his two sisters Joan Kristen Phelan (husband Joe Yoder), Jean Kathleen Phelan (husband Roderick Graham), niece, Tori Phelan Graham and nephews, Tyson Phelan Graham, Joshua Daniel Tyson, Maxfield Elliott Yoder and his dog Mabel.  Also, many cousins and friends.

T he family will hold an in-person celebration of Paul's life once it is safe to travel and be together.  We ask that you keep Paul in your heart and think of him next time you hear your favorite rock and roll song, see a beautiful sunset or watch the Chiefs score a touchdown. He would have done the same for you.