Phyllis Economou

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Phyllis Economou with, from left, Frank M. Robinson, Randall Garrett and Philip José Farmer at Midwestcon 2 in 1951.

(July 16, 1922 – December 15, 1999)

Phyllis “Phil” Economou (née Lucas, later took her stepfather's name, Berube), was a Midwestern fan active in the 1940s through ’60s. She sometimes went by P. H. Economou or Phyllis Aitch Economou. Phyllis's home was well-known as a social center for Milwaukee fandom, and she regularly hosted Christmas parties and other fan gatherings, including the 1959 Phyllcon. She once described herself as being "most" of Milwaukee fandom.

She was a member of Wisconsin Fandom and tried to create a Milwaukee in '59 Worldcon bid. She attended such cons as Midwestcon and Worldcons. She belonged to FAPA. Her fanzine collection wound up donated to the Fanzine Foundation.

She was born in Fall River, MA, in 1922 and grew up in Maine. She married Arthur Economou (1913–1998) in 1943 in New York City. During the late '40s, they moved to Milwaukee.

In Science Fiction News Letter 28 (Winter 1953), Bob Tucker wrote of her:

Lately the new name of P.H. Economou has been appearing in the fan-magazines; a recent issue of Peon carried an exceptionally humorous article under that by-line.... Last Thanksgiving Day it was our pleasure to have dinner with Phyllis Economou and her husband, in Coconut Grove, Florida. P.H. Economou is a beautiful young woman, thank you. She and her husband edit and publish the Florida Opportunity Bul­letin, a "fan-magazine" with near 15,000 circulation.

By 1978, she had gafiated, she and Arthur moved to New York, and were part of some sort of Ponzi scheme in the ’80s. They may have divorced but we can't confirm this. Arthur died in New York City in 1998 and Phyllis died in Culpepper, Virginia, in 1999.

Fanzines and Apazines:



Person 19221999
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