William “Bill” Duncan Phillips, 92, loving husband to Ruth, passed away peacefully at his Vienna, VA home of acute congestive heart and kidney failure on August 26, 2020. Bill was born in Springfield, IL, October 24, 1927, to William Wesley and Vineta Childs Phillips. He graduated from Springfield High School in 1945, where he ran track. He graduated from the University of Illinois with Honors in Economics in 1949. While at Illinois he was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity.
Following graduation, he was drafted, attended Officer Candidate School, and served in the Army’s Counter Intelligence Corps in Tokyo, Japan during the Korean War. After the war, Bill transferred to the Army Reserves, eventually retiring with the rank of Major.
He married Martha June Smith in 1953. They were married for 30 years and spent many years overseas while raising their four children. Bill married Ruth Girnis Malecki in 1985, and they were fully devoted to each other throughout their 35 years together.
Bill’s professional career began with a stint as a salesman for the Monroe Calculating Company where his father worked. He did not like it, and subsequently followed up on an invitation to work for the Central Intelligence
Agency, where he served in the Operations Directorate until his retirement at age 60. He served overseas tours with his family in Munich, Berlin, and Bonn, Germany, and in Ankara, Turkey. He spoke near fluent German and passably
fluent Turkish while serving in those posts. Bill rose through the ranks at the agency, as Branch Chief, Deputy Division Chief, Deputy Station Chief, Chief of Operations, Deputy Chief of Staff, and Chief of one of the Agencies largest and most sensitive Field Stations.
Following retirement as a member of the Senior Intelligence Service (SIS-03) and having received the Agency’s second highest award, the Intelligence Medal of Merit, Bill continued to contribute to the mission of the CIA and served in various intelligence training and communications capacities as a contractor until his retirement at the age of 86. Of his career he often said, “I loved every minute of it. I would do it all over again even if they didn’t pay me.”
While the majority of his work at the CIA remains classified, one notable activity that is public involved the initial assessment and management of Col. Ryszard Kuklinski of the Polish General Staff, who became one of the United States most valuable Cold War-era assets.
Bill and Ruth always enjoyed traveling and visited many places together. They took each and every grandchild, in groups of two or three cousins, on special vacations with them. These included trips to Disney World, cruises and dude ranches.
A few years ago he wrote a book for his family with this dedication that sums up just who Bill was: “I dedicate this collection of memories and stories from my life to my family for their love and support, to my grandson RJ, who gave his life serving his country, to my colleagues for their dedication and friendship, and to my country that I proudly served for 63 years.”
Bill is survived by his wife Ruth Phillips, and their blended family that includes six children: Bill (Anna) Phillips of Fairfax Station, Susan (Bill) North of Rosemont, PA, David (Michelle) Phillips of Sugar Hill, GA, Tim Phillips (Vivian Allvin) of Reston, Cindy Malecki of Burke and Laura (Bob) Hess of Burke; fourteen grandchildren, Danielle, Shannon (Brian), Andy (Shannon), Mike (Sarah), Jesse, Rebecca, Patrick (Shelby), Nick, Russ, Sam, Fletcher, Charlie, Tucker and Spencer; and seven great-grandchildren, with one on the way. He is also survived by his brother, Robert (Janice) Phillips of Elk Grove Village, IL and his family, and sister-in-law, Joan Girnis of Cape Coral, FL. He is preceded in death by Ruth’s son Billy Malecki, who served in the US Navy, and their grandson 1st Lt. Robert Joseph “RJ” Hess, who was killed in action in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2013.
A private family service will be held at the Fairfax Memorial Funeral Home. Bill will be buried in Quantico National Cemetery, Triangle, Virginia.