Phil gained her lifesaving medallions in 1940.
She competed in the 1940 Centennial sports and won the 100 yards breaststoke for which she was given a necklace, a prize she cherished and wore for the rest of her life.
Phil served on the Wairarapa Sub-Centre from 1942 until the Wairarapa Centre was formed about 1946, belonging to that body for many years and being diving judge.
She was patron of Swim Wairarapa until the region merged with Wellington in 2013 and was Featherston Amateur Swimming Club patron right up until the time of her death.
Phil married Vivian Murphy in 1945, and the couple went on to have six children Vivienne, Elizabeth, John, Catherine, Christine and Marcia.
Her mother lived with them helping raise the family, allowing Phil to continue her swimming involvement.
In 1950 she launched a Christmas holiday "Learn To Swim" campaign in Featherston, which continued until the new baths opened in Johnson St in 1968.
That same year Phil was approached to start a Featherston Life Saving Club and gained the Bronze Cross award of Merit Medals and Instructors Certificate. She became very involved in lifesaving and ex-pupils speak highly of her encouragement, but also how the noise of her white Morris Marina grinding up Kuratawhiti St, to the swimming baths in Greytown would cause anxiety knowing the "examiner" was coming.
Phil earned many awards from 1959 until the mid-1980s and actively coached swimming until 2002.
Phil loved to attend the two summer Metro home swim meets and prizegiving. and the resurrection in 2005 of the Featherston Business House Relay and its conversion into the Featherston Community Swimming Relay was supported strongly by her.
She enjoyed seeing locals participate at the relay, catching up with former Featherston Swimming Club swimmers and other friends.
At celebrations in 2012, which recognised the centenary of Featherston Swimming Club, people arrived from throughout the country, from Australia and messages of goodwill arrived from all over the world.
Phil encouraged club meetings to be held at her house so she could have her input at AGM time and encouraged the committee to continue its vision of providing learn to swim lessons for Featherston children at an affordable cost, which continues today.
In late April Phil and her family enjoyed her 90th birthday party along with her fellow Swim Wairarapa life members, current and ex club members and community friends.
Her funeral was well attended and it was fitting a song by Bernard Carey was played called Bell St.
This alluded to "Lady Murphy" and acknowledged and thanked Phil for rescuing Bernard as a young toddler when he was swept down a roadside drain. After her funeral friends were invited to sprinkle her coffin with water from the Featherston pool rather than flowers.
