Phyllis Dean Altrogge
Phyllis Dean Altrogge was born on June 15, 1935 on a farm near Mexico, to Emmett Carl Altrogge and Florence Azile Dean Altrogge. She graduated from Mexico High School, Mexico, in 1953. Phyllis received a bachelor of arts degree from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts in 1957.
From 1957 until 1969, Phyllis was employed by the National Security Agency in Fort Meade, Md., as an intelligence research analyst specializing in the Chinese language. She earned a Ph.D. degree in economics from the University of Missouri, Columbia in 1975. From 1975 until 1995, she was employed as a staff economist at the Federal Trade Commission in Washington, D.C. She retired from the Federal Trade Commission in 1995.
In retirement, she volunteered for twenty years at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. and also for the homeless program at St. Paul’s Church on K Street in Washington, D.C.
In March 2011, she married Matthew Francis Murphy, Jr. They especially enjoyed traveling together. Matt passed away in January 2017.
In addition to volunteering and traveling, she spent her retirement years reading, caring for her rescue greyhounds and hiking, including solo hikes across England and around the Tour du Mont Blanc in France. In 2019 she moved from McLean, Va., to a retirement community in Lake Frederick, Va.
She was a long-time parishioner at St. Paul’s Church on K Street in Washington, D.C.
Phyllis is also predeceased by her parents and sister, Iris Jean Altrogge Soule’. She is survived by her brother-in-law, Covert Aiken Soule’, Jr. of O’Fallon, Ill.; a nephew, Covert Aiken Soule’, III (Christina Crane Soule’) of O’Fallon, Ill.; and two nieces, Cathryn Ann (Soule’) Combs (Richard Combs) of Wentzville; and Carolyn Dean (Soule’) Monson (Timothy Monson) of Arlington Heights, Ill.
In addition, she is survived by seven grand nieces and nephews including Covert Aiken Soule’, IV; Mary Kate Soule’; Caitlin Alyssa (Combs) Hasse (Luke Hasse); Kyle Andrew Combs; Callie Alexandra Combs; Grant Alan Monson; and Kevin Dean Monson; as well as a great grand niece and nephew.
Funeral arrangements courtesy of Omps Funeral Home. A requiem mass will be held on Oct. 17, at 11 a.m. at St. Paul’s Church on K Street in Washington D.C. Interment will also be at St. Paul’s Church Columbarium.
