FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Note: Though Joiner is Dr. Phelp's married name, given the circumstances of the case, family and friends ask that she be remembered as Dr. Amy Phelps, using her maiden name.
Friends and family continue to grieve the death of Dr. Amy Phelps, weeks after police say she was killed.
Julie Storing is one of many friends grieving the death of Dr. Amy Phelps: The two met at an event put on by the Facebook group Nerdy Girls of Northwest Arkansas. Storing, like many others, had joined the group to find and make friends since she was new to the area. Storing's first meeting with Dr. Phelps was in early 2020, unknowingly right before the pandemic.
"We had to kind of suspend doing social things for a while. I didn't get her number at the time, but I remember thinking 'I wish I would have gotten Amy's number,' throughout those months," Storing said.
It was an instant connection as Storing eventually became close friends with Amy and two others in the group, Allie Sparkman and Alexa Meimerstorf.
"We decided during COVID that we were going to basically be our own family. So we were still, you know, isolating and social distancing," Storing explained.
"Everyone knew her as being a wonderful doctor and pathologist, but she had a very intense creative side to her as well. I think that's not something that you think about with someone who works in a STEM field, but she loved to make costumes," Storing said.
"We would often have movie nights— we had a Twilight movie marathon and Amy had actually never seen the movies or read the books, so when she came dressed as the apple from the front cover of the book it was what everyone remembered from the party. It was the funniest thing," she added.
Through their years of friendship, Amy would enjoy cooking, baking, crocheting, thrifting, hat making, pottery, and even wet felting.
Allie Sparkman wrote an obituary for Dr. Phelps, describing her as "a genuine, kind, and true friend to anyone; a caring doctor; a loving mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters of NWA; a social justice advocate; and a loving dog mom. Amy loved to share joy with anyone around her. "
"She was an amazing friend and I love her, and gosh... she will be missed so much," Storing added.
Amy loved her dogs, Albert and Vicki. Storing says, "They were the light of her life." While Amy, Alexa, Allie, and Julie were a family, Dr. Phelps was a friend to many.
Storing said that "She would remember the tiniest things about what you liked, or what you were interested in and then would always follow up."
"She was someone who always praised everyone else. She was everyone's cheerleader but didn't really think about herself," Storing added.
Through her friends, family, and community, Dr. Phelps' life and memory will continue to live.
"I think an important lesson that I'm taking from her life is to make sure that you're checking in with your friends and that you're making sure they feel loved. And when you're meeting new people, greet them with open arms, and a bright smile," Storing said.
Storing continued, "Amy just had the most heartwarming joyfilled laugh and I will never have that laugh, but I want to at least try to embody the spirit of her laughter and just keep that going. That really is her legacy with us."
The public memorial for Dr. Phelps will be tomorrow, May 4, from 6 - 7 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Springdale.
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