Dan Francis Murphy Sr
October 21, 2016 at 3:26 p.m.
By -
He was born Feb. 4, 1930, in Brooklyn, N.Y., to Irish immigrants John and Mary Ingham Murphy.
In his youth, he was the definition of first-generation American, entrepreneurial and patriotic. He had many odd jobs growing up in the city.
After school he helped wash dishes at the pub where his father tended bar. He shoveled horse manure for the local police station in exchange for Brooklyn Dodger’s tickets. He sold hand-rolled tobacco cigarettes, and was a hand model for Lucky Strike cigarettes all before he was 15 years old.
At 16 he used his older brother’s birth date to join the Army. In the Army he became a paratrooper. As a Rakkasan of the 187th Airborne he made multiple jumps while serving in the Korean War. When his tour was due to end, he gave up his exit to another soldier who had a family at home, and stayed to finish that soldier’s tour. He continued to do this until he had spent nearly three straight years in Korea.
Upon returning to the States, he immediately went to the home of Mary M. Shepherd to ask her mother for permission to marry her. Mary and her mother accepted his request, and Dan and Mary were married April 2, 1952. The couple lived in Fort Benning, Ga., for the first few years of their marriage.
While in Georgia, they had a daughter (Mary Donna) and a son (Dan II). After leaving the Army as a first sergeant, he moved his family to Warsaw. There, they had another daughter (Deborah) and son (John). He worked at a local furniture company for several years. He then went to work at RR Donnelley, from which he retired.
He and Mary were snowbirds in Mesa, Ariz., for many years, before moving to Bradenton, Fla. A few years ago, the couple moved to Colorado to be closer to family.
He and Mary were blessed with over 64 years of marriage, four children, 10 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. He is survived by his wife, Mary; a sister, Maura; a daughter, Mary Donna Green (and spouse Paul); a son, Dan Murphy II; a daughter, Deborah Perry (and spouse Kenneth).; his grandchildren: Dan Green, Paul Douglas Green II (and spouse Meaghan), Jenna Green Grindle (and spouse Josh), Heather Smith, Holli Mahoney (and spouse Tim), Trey Perry (and spouse Kari), Sean Perry (and spouse Lacey), Drew Perry (and spouse Natalie), Erica Murphy Ash (and spouse Ryan), and Ciara Murphy Green.
His parents; a sister, Katherine; brothers John and Hugh; and his son, John, preceded him in death.
His final gift to society is donating his body to Alzheimer’s research.
A service will be held at a later date.
*****
May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his Hand.
He was born Feb. 4, 1930, in Brooklyn, N.Y., to Irish immigrants John and Mary Ingham Murphy.
In his youth, he was the definition of first-generation American, entrepreneurial and patriotic. He had many odd jobs growing up in the city.
After school he helped wash dishes at the pub where his father tended bar. He shoveled horse manure for the local police station in exchange for Brooklyn Dodger’s tickets. He sold hand-rolled tobacco cigarettes, and was a hand model for Lucky Strike cigarettes all before he was 15 years old.
At 16 he used his older brother’s birth date to join the Army. In the Army he became a paratrooper. As a Rakkasan of the 187th Airborne he made multiple jumps while serving in the Korean War. When his tour was due to end, he gave up his exit to another soldier who had a family at home, and stayed to finish that soldier’s tour. He continued to do this until he had spent nearly three straight years in Korea.
Upon returning to the States, he immediately went to the home of Mary M. Shepherd to ask her mother for permission to marry her. Mary and her mother accepted his request, and Dan and Mary were married April 2, 1952. The couple lived in Fort Benning, Ga., for the first few years of their marriage.
While in Georgia, they had a daughter (Mary Donna) and a son (Dan II). After leaving the Army as a first sergeant, he moved his family to Warsaw. There, they had another daughter (Deborah) and son (John). He worked at a local furniture company for several years. He then went to work at RR Donnelley, from which he retired.
He and Mary were snowbirds in Mesa, Ariz., for many years, before moving to Bradenton, Fla. A few years ago, the couple moved to Colorado to be closer to family.
He and Mary were blessed with over 64 years of marriage, four children, 10 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. He is survived by his wife, Mary; a sister, Maura; a daughter, Mary Donna Green (and spouse Paul); a son, Dan Murphy II; a daughter, Deborah Perry (and spouse Kenneth).; his grandchildren: Dan Green, Paul Douglas Green II (and spouse Meaghan), Jenna Green Grindle (and spouse Josh), Heather Smith, Holli Mahoney (and spouse Tim), Trey Perry (and spouse Kari), Sean Perry (and spouse Lacey), Drew Perry (and spouse Natalie), Erica Murphy Ash (and spouse Ryan), and Ciara Murphy Green.
His parents; a sister, Katherine; brothers John and Hugh; and his son, John, preceded him in death.
His final gift to society is donating his body to Alzheimer’s research.
A service will be held at a later date.
*****
May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his Hand.
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092