Her father, Ernest Archibald Hagmoe, initially worked in the local water department although he lost his job due to his alcoholism.

Her mother, Minnie Hagmoe, was a public servant who worked a series of jobs throughout the Great Depression with the state welfare office, the Works Progress Administration, the Seattle War Commission, the city's voter registration and license offices and the King County tax department.

[4] Lamphere was active in League of Women Voters and lobbied the Seattle City Council to pass a bill that placed budget decisions under the mayor's authority.

[5] In 1977, Lamphere became the first nonmayoral and woman president of the National League of Cities and ran for Mayor of Seattle, coming in fourth in the primary.

She lived at the Horizon House retirement center, where she remained active in civic affairs and mobilized retirees in her 90s.