Lucille V. Phillips

Lucille V. Phillips passed away June 21, 2022, at the age of 96. Lucille was born in Berryville, AR, October 30, 1925, to Pearl L. and Arlis B. Hill. She attended school in Arkansas until her senior year. She moved to Kansas City, MO in 1943, worked part time for AT&T and attended East High School where she graduated in 1944. She worked 37 years for AT&T and Southwestern Bell. She began as a long-distance operator and retired as supervisor/office manager in Business Services in 1981. Retiring at age 55, she enjoyed her hobbies included photography, oil painting, gardening, and genealogy. When asked how long it took her to adjust to retirement, she replied “about 15 minutes”. She was an avid flower and vegetable gardener and had a special love for trees. In her early years of home ownership, she worked extra days to afford buying trees. She and her husband wrote and self-published genealogy books tracing family history, preserving photographs, recording stories, and including documents dating back to 1777.

She married Kenneth Lee Phillips January 19, 1946, a marriage of 71 years until his death in September 2017. They were residents of Raytown, MO for 62 years. Lucille moved to Addington Place of Lee’s Summit assistant living in 2018. She is survived by her daughter Carolyn L. Thomas of Lee’s Summit, MO, grandson Graham L. Thomas of San Francisco, CA, first-cousin Iris Rowe, of Berryville, AR, and many nieces and nephews. Lucille loved her immediate and extended family and was the keeper of contact information, tracking family members throughout her life.

A graveside service will be held in Berryville, AR later this year. Her family suggests donations to Kansas City Hospice and Palliative Care.