Karin Phillips, KYW NewsRadio reporter

STEVE BUTLER's office was on the other side of the large KYW radio newsroom from Karin Phillips' desk, but he could hear her robust laugh even at that distance.

"I loved hearing it," said Steve, director of programming for KYW NewsRadio. "She had a tremendous sense of humor and an amazing laugh. I'm going to miss that."

Karin Phillips, KYW's community-affairs reporter, who had been at the station since 1979 handling a variety of assignments, died suddenly yesterday. She was 53 and lived in Mount Laurel.

Karin's voice was familiar to listeners of KYW Radio, and her reports on the doings of people and organizations that had an impact on the region were always thorough and well-presented.

"She was dedicated to giving voice to people and community organizations that were doing great stuff, who needed to be heard," Steve said.

"Her last story was about a 13-year-old girl who wrote a book about a Holocaust survivor. Karin worked very hard at finding these stories. She had a tremendous work ethic."

Most of the time, Karin generated her own stories, with minimal guidance from her bosses. She didn't need to be guided. She knew the kinds of stories that were interesting and important, if seldom told. That was her goal: to describe important work that was being done for the community that rarely made headlines.

But she didn't balk at hopping into a car and driving into blizzards to tell listeners about road conditions.

"She often reported hard news," Steve said. "She was very versatile."

Karin joined KYW's all-news staff as a production assistant. Over the years, she took on the roles of reporter, writer and daytime editor.

A Philadelphia native, Karin graduated from Rutgers University-Camden in 1979 with a bachelor of arts degree in English and Spanish and a minor in journalism. She received her master's degree in 1998.

She was an adjunct professor at Rutgers, teaching broadcast journalism.

While a student at Rutgers, she was a reporter and editor of the campus newspaper and was president of the Spanish club. She was named Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges, and was honored as one of the 50 finest graduates of Rutgers-Camden.

Before joining KYW, Karin was a reporter for the Burlington County Times and was an anchor and producer for Express Traffic Services.

Karin did not just report on community activities - she was part of them. As a member of the Philadelphia Flying Phoenix Dragon Boat team, she helped raise money for the fight against breast cancer.

She helped pack surplus food for distribution to organizations feeding the hungry, and prepared meals at the Ronald McDonald House, which provides quarters for families of children undergoing hospital treatment in the region.

Karin also lent her singing voice to the Christian Bell Choir of Burlington County, which performs at churches, senior centers, nursing homes and for inmates of county prisons and jails.

In 2009, she received the Human Rights Award for Arts and Culture from the Philadelphia Commission on Human Rights. In 2004, she received the Outstanding Community Service Award from the Philadelphia Council of Clergy, a multicultural organization of clergymen and women in the region.

She is survived by her mother, Rose, and a brother.

Services: Were being arranged.