REPUBLIC, Mo. — The Republic School District is mourning the loss of former beloved music teacher Mrs. Kathy Phillips. She passed away on Feb. 13, 2026, at the age of 76.
Phillips taught music full-time at Republic Schools from 1971 to 2001, serving grades 5-12, and worked for the school district for a total of 30 years. Before then, she obtained a master’s degree in music education from Southwest Missouri State University (MSU) after receiving a bachelor’s degree from Southwest Baptist University (SBU).
While teaching, her students consistently recieved superior ratings for their performances, including three separate times at Carnegie Hall.
After retiring from full-time teaching, she continued to help students prepare for performances and competitions as an accompanist through 2010. She had even helped prepare concert pieces with students as recently as this year…