It is with great sadness that the Philadelphia Board of Ethics announces the passing of former Board Vice Chair, the Honorable Phyllis W. Beck, who died on March 3, 2025.

Judge Beck served on the Ethics Board from April 2011 until November 2022. She had an unwavering commitment to and passion for the Board, and for the importance of promoting honesty, integrity and transparency in City government. As a former Pennsylvania Superior Court judge – the first woman to serve on that court – she brought her sound judgment and objective reasoning to difficult Board conversations and decisions. And she did so with enormous sensitivity and kindness. Notwithstanding her extraordinary professional accomplishments, she was humble and unassuming. She treated her Board colleagues and staff as friends. She left an indelible mark on the Board’s work and on our hearts. We will all miss her tremendously.

Memoriam written by Board Member Ellen Mattleman Kaplan