John M. Phelps Jr., 61, employee benefits specialist

John M. Phelps Jr., 61, of Lebanon, Hunterdon County, a former employee benefits specialist for firms in Philadelphia and New Jersey, died of a heart attack Sunday, Jan. 11, at home.

In 2014, daughter Laura Howells said, Mr. Phelps became CEO of Grow Solutions Inc., which its website describes as providing "services, products, financing, technology and management consulting to the expanding legal cannabis industry."

The firm deals with medical marijuana, a continuation of Mr. Phelps' work "in health benefits," Howells said. "He did a lot of work out of the house."

The firm's website states that for its real estate division, the "initial project involves purchase and lease back to a licensed grower in California."

From 2012 to 2014, she said, Mr. Phelps was vice president for marketing and sales at the Prescription Corp. of America in Denville, N.J.

Born in Kane, in McKean County, Pa., Mr. Phelps earned a bachelor's in economics at the University of Pennsylvania in 1975.

He married Sandra Afford at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Collingswood.

After college, he worked for the Philadelphia office of Johnson & Higgins, the former insurance brokerage firm.

In the 1980s, his daughter said, Mr. Phelps dealt with employee benefits for Blue Cross & Blue Shield of New Jersey.

"He never stayed longer than four or five years, before he moved on and moved up," she said.

Mr. Phelps was a tenor in the choir at St. Matthew the Apostle Church in Randolph, N.J., where the family lived in the 1980s, and was a youth soccer coach for community teams there.

He then sang in the choir at St. Rose of Lima Church in North Wales and coached basketball for CYO teams there in the 1990s, when the family lived in Upper Gwynedd, she said.

Besides his daughter, Mr. Phelps is survived by his wife of 39 years; his father, John M. Sr.; sons John M. III and Kevin; a brother; three sisters; and a granddaughter.

A Funeral Mass was set for 10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 19, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 59 Main St., High Bridge.

Donations may be sent to the Food Pantry, St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, 832 Park Ave., Collingswood, N.J. 08108.

Condolences may be offered to the family at www.martinfh.com.