From Eastside Journal / South County Journal - Wednesday, November 18, 2002

Ruth-Anne of `Northern Exposure' dead at 84

by Jeff Switzer
Journal Reporter
 

WOODINVILLE -- Peg Phillips, who played the wise, straight-talking storekeeper Ruth-Anne on the CBS hit ``Northern Exposure'' is dead at 84.

Born Sept. 20, 1918 in Everett, she had wanted to be an actress from age 4.

But her fame wouldn't come until after a career as a bookkeeper and tax accountant to pay the bills and raise four children.

After retiring, she enrolled in the University of Washington drama school in 1984. By 1985, she was landing so many jobs that she was unable to complete her degree.

In 1990 she auditioned and won an intermittent role in ``Northern Exposure,'' a CBS series on the fish-out-of-water struggle of a New York doctor working off his student loan in the fictional town of Cicely, Alaska.

Phillips was so loved that she earned a regular role as the storekeeper.

She lived in a 100-year-old Woodinville farmhouse since 1977, and had an easy commute to shoot the TV show in Redmond and Roslyn.

The show began as a summer replacement series but drew such strong ratings it ran through 1995.

``The dream just materialized after I got the kids raised,'' she said of her fame in 1998. ``It's absolutely not too late for anyone.''

She used her celebrity status to fight the dearth of culture and entertainment in Woodinville, creating the Woodinville Repertory Theatre and becoming its artistic director.

At the time, she was asked why start a theater in Woodinville?

She answered: ``Just recently, I drove down the main street of Woodinville and saw that there's nothing but malls. ... I've lived here for 22 years and I've seen it grow from a village to what it is now.''

Her death has spurred vows to keep the small company alive, said Hjalmer Anderson, president of the Theatre troupe's board and Woodinville High School theater director.

``We promised we would keep it going,'' he said. ``It's a huge loss in our community. Her personality was cherished. She truly was the Grand Dame.''

Her last stage appearance was in the company's production of ``Bell, Book and Candle'' in 1999.

She appeared in at least eight movies, a number of television commercials and made guest appearances in such TV series as ``7th Heaven,'' ``Touched By an Angel'' and ``ER.''

She appeared with Shirley MacLaine in ``Waiting for the Light'' (1990) and in the made-for-TV movies ``How the West Was Fun'' (1994) and ``Chase'' (1985).

In 1994, she narrated ``The Granny Myth,'' a documentary depicting realistic and positive views of older women.

CBS issued a statement saying, ``Peg Phillips' memorable portrayal of Ruth-Anne Miller on `Northern Exposure' left an indelible imprint with the millions of loyal fans of this groundbreaking series, as well as with everyone at the network who had the opportunity to know and work with her.''

In 1987 she founded Theater Inside, a drama program for juvenile offenders at the Echo Glen Children's Center in Snoqualmie. She continued to work as a volunteer in the program until her health failed in recent years.

Scorning pretension, she wore blue jeans, a red-and-white checked blouse, blue suspenders and brown sandals to the Emmy Awards ceremony when she was nominated for best supporting actress in 1993. When asked who designed her outfit, she replied, ``Me.''

Born in Everett, married and divorced twice, she lived through the attack on Pearl Harbor while her first husband, Daniel Greene, was stationed in Hawaii. Her second husband was Chester Phillips.

She overcame polio, peritonitis, a ruptured aorta and, at age 81, a broken hip and wrist from being hit by a car.

But being an unrepentant smoker lead to the lung disease that ultimately stopped the seemingly unstoppable Phillips in a care center on Nov. 7.

On occasion she wrote her own lines on Northern Exposure. Criticized for smoking in one episode, she retorted, ``I've been smoking since I was 13 years old, and during the Eisenhower administration I peaked at three packs a day. I'm not about to stop now.''

Survivors include two daughters, the Rev. Elizabeth Greene of Boise, Idaho, and Virginia Phillips of Everett, four grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.

``She said back in August `When I go, don't be sad, I want you to have a party,''' Anderson said. ``She didn't want us to be sad or morose, even when she was ill.''

The Associated Press contributed to this report.