Dora Phillips Obituary

Katie and I became dear friends during our Freshman year at William & Mary. She was one of the most gentle and brilliant people I have met. She introduced me to a life, on my own, with endless possibilities. Her devotion to her friends was complete, and to those whom she loved, she was unwavering in her support. I have thought of her often during the years, lamenting that we had lost touch. I am so sorry to hear of her passing.

D. "Kay" Phillips, as we knew her, was a graduate student in our Behavioral Genetics Training Program from 1985-1988. She trained under the direction of Dr. David Fulker completing quantitative genetic analyses of longitudinal trends in IQ for her doctoral thesis work. She was an outstanding student and good friend to many. We knew she'd do well at whatever she chose and, remarkably, she spent the next 20 years conducting the Louisville Twin Study. That's quite a legacy and one, I hope, that will be taken up by others in her absence. She'll be missed greatly by her behavioral genetics colleagues, as well as by those of us who remember her fondly.

Toni N. Smolen, Ph.D.
Assistant Director
Institute for Behavioral Genetics
University of Colorado, Boulder

Kay and I were buddies in elementary,
intermediate, high schools and for a while
in college. When the hormones hit we even
engaged in some awkward groping, but we'd
known each other so early and so long by
then that it felt too strange to continue. She
was friends with all my friends and we lived
in the same blue collar neighborhood when we
were kids. She went on in scientific research
and I went into educational theater. About two
years ago she called me out of the blue
one night and we picked up right where we
left off three decades ago, talking
and laughing as we'd done so often before.
You were too young to go, Kay.
Love,
Bruce Snyder

I met you once and fell in love with your spirit. Your warmth, intelligence, and sweet soul made an indelible imprint on me. Your dance on earth was hard but now you can sway and twirl with arms outstretched, free from pain and at peace.

My dearest friend, I loved you like a sister and hold you near my heart...I see your smiling face and hear your voice and hope those memories will help fill the void your death leaves me...I salute your life..Job well done,Kay....I love you dearly...Suzanne (New Kent,Virginia)

Kay and I have researched the Huiet's family tree for many years together. She visited in my home and started our first family reunion in Edgefield, South Carolina. She was a great asset in helping discover so much Huiet history and was a delight to be with. I loved her and will miss her greatly

J. Fritz Huiet
President of the Huiet Family Association

Dear Dora Kay Phillips, I hope you find peace in the hereafter. We have lost your great mind as well as your love for all animals. And I, personally, have lost a compatriot of the Bowen Theory that you took to so willingly those many years ago when you were my eager student. I will remember you.

I have loved Kay Phillips since the day I met her...I was 16 and she was 15. We were BFF before there was such a term, and she has been my most enduring fan and supporter for my entire life. She was always my model for unconditional love, and I'll tell you frankly that though I've been married 3 times, I doubt if any of those men loved and accepted me the way that Kay did. A beautiful girl with a voice like an angel and a mind like a steel trap...Katie brought her keen intelligence to Behavioural Genetics, which got the best of her for the past 20 years. May she rest in peace; heaven's choir has just gotten an awesome soprano. I love you, Katie, and always will. xxxoooxxx