Marilyn P. Phillips

Marilyn Phillips, 72, passed away peacefully nearly three years after her diagnosis of liver cancer, a journey she met with remarkable courage, grace, and determination. Through six lines of chemotherapy and radiation, she continued to build cherished memories with her family and friends, embodying resilience and love until the very end.

Marilyn was the devoted mother of three wonderful children and welcomed each of their spouses as our family grew. She is survived by Cassie Hage (Phillips) and her husband, Tim; Jenny Seggerman (Phillips) and her husband, Matt; and Alexander Phillips and his wife, Sareema. She was the proud and loving Mimi of five delightful grandchildren—Hazel, Chris, Nick, Eva, and Nora—who were among her greatest joys. She treasured family time and worked tirelessly to create opportunities for her family to be together. From baking holiday cookies with her grandchildren to organizing frequent family gatherings, she made familial connection her life’s centerpiece.

She is also survived by her devoted and loving husband, Greg; her parents, Acel “Gene” and Therese Payne; her brother, Bob Payne, and his wife, Debra; her sister, Beverly Payne; her sisters-in-law Terry Phillips and Patti Schabinger and her husband Paul; her nieces, Stacie and Heather Payne; her nephews, Robert, Kevin, and Jason Schabinger; and her dear friends, Judy, LaRita, and Cynthia, whose friendships enriched her life.

Marilyn loved being the University City Public Library's Head of Youth Services. Mrs. P, as she is known to kids in University City, retired after more than 30 creative summer reading programs, countless story times, and serving generations of young readers. During her tenure at UCPL, Marilyn also served on the American Library Association’s Newbery (best written children’s book), Caldecott (best illustrated children’s book), and Carnegie (best children’s film) committees. She created innovative reading programs that inspired thousands of children to discover a lifelong love of books and learning. Her greatest wish was simple and profound: that every young person would become a lifelong reader. Her life’s work reflected that calling.

Marilyn loved to read everything—and especially loved reading to her grandchildren. She also embraced the outdoors with enthusiasm: endless gardening, playing tennis and badminton, riding her bike, and simply being outside brought her joy. She also had a passion for movies and documentaries, as well as “guilty pleasure” TV shows.

After she married, Marilyn learned to swim and soon developed a passion for snorkeling. She snorkeled around the world—from the Indian Ocean to the Great Barrier Reef, Fiji, Tahiti, and throughout the Caribbean—marveling at the beauty beneath the surface. Later in life, she swam for an hour most summer days for exercise, passing the time by listening to music or books through a long string of “waterproof” electronic headphones—many of which needed replacing over the years. Her backyard pool became a destination for family gatherings and laughter.

Inspired by her son’s college cross-country running, Marilyn took up running at age 60. With characteristic determination, she trained diligently and even won a 10K race in her age bracket—proving that it is never too late to embrace a new challenge.

A passionate traveler, Marilyn shared countless adventures with her lifelong travel companion, Greg. Recently, she was thrilled to fulfill her goal of visiting all 50 states by visiting the final three—Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho just five months before her death on a 14-day road trip with Greg, Alex, Cassie and Eva. Throughout her adult life, she frequently traveled abroad and loved immersing herself in cultural and artistic experiences wherever she went, as well as the beach, waterfalls, and water whenever she could.

Marilyn also loved eating and indulging in food. Each year, she made it a point to discover the best restaurants in town and visit as many as possible, while still returning to cherished favorites. She was the family cook and baker who delighted in trying new recipes—almost always with delicious success. Her children especially treasured the unique birthday cakes she created, each one thoughtfully designed to reflect the personality and occasion of the celebration. And she was always generous with preparing chocolate sweets, catering to her husband’s insatiable love of chocolate.

Marilyn loved cats from a young age and adopted her first cat, Tommy. She even brought Tommy with her to college, where he might have earned a degree himself had he not slept all day and prowled all night. Over the years, Marilyn shared her home with many beloved cats, but her heart cat was Razzberry. Their bond began when Razzberry was a tiny kitten, and Marilyn fed her with an eye dropper. For more than 17 years, Razzberry curled up faithfully on Marilyn’s lap each day while she read or watched television. During Marilyn’s illness, Razzberry gave her comfort and strength to carry on. Though Razzberry passed away a year before Marilyn, the love and resilience from that bond remained with her.

Marilyn’s legacy lives on in the countless readers she inspired, the family traditions she nurtured, the journeys she took with others, the meals she lovingly prepared, and the kindness she showed so freely.

Her family would like to express gratitude to the team at SSM Health Cancer Care, headed by Dr. Sandeep Sen, who provided outstanding and compassionate care over the last three years and enabled dignified and peaceful final weeks. We also thank the many relatives, friends, and neighbors who have reached out to provide support and offer help.

The Phillips family invites those who knew Marilyn to honor her memory by sharing a story on the Kriegshauser Mortuary’s website.

In lieu of flowers, consider donating to U City in Bloom (https://www.ucityinbloom.org/), whose mission is “to enhance University City through artfully designed public gardens, community involvement, partnerships, and environmental education.” That way, we all can enjoy the natural beauty that Marilyn so enjoyed in the place she called home.

Per Marilyn’s wishes, no celebration of life or other services are planned at this time.