Obituary of Richard Charles Murphy

Richard C. Murphy, 67 of 1804 F. Street, Iowa City died Monday, November, 10, 2008, at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. A gathering time for family and friends will be held at 7pm Friday, November 14, 2008, at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service in Iowa City. Online condolences may be sent for his family through the web @ www.gayandciha.com. Richard Charles Murphy was born December 8, 1940, in Erie, PA the son of Michael and Margaret (Stoddard) Murphy. Following graduation from high school, he graduated from Wilmington College, received his Master’s degree from Kent State University, and his PhD in German History from the University of Iowa. He has resided in Iowa City for the past thirty years; here he worked at ACT for over twenty years before retiring. Richard was a fanatic sports fan which included Iowa football, basketball, and Cleveland Indians baseball. He was a voracious reader and gourmet cook and always a scholar and a gentleman. Richard spent many years as an amateur genealogist which lead him on travels to Norway, Finland, Ireland, and Germany. His family includes a son, Seamus Murphy of East Moline, IL; brother Tom Murphy of Espyville, PA; sisters Joy (Erv) Ledenican of Scottsdale, AZ, Jan Boylan (Lou Steinert) of Cincinatti, OH, and Joan Murphy of Hillsboro, OH. He leaves behind an extended family of life-long friends: Pete and Barb Robinson, Ken and Rhonda Kekke, Bob and Connie Bowman all of Iowa City, IA, and Ralph Shell of Hillsboro, OH, Pat Lytle of Columbus, OH, and Don Gibson of New York, New York. He was preceded in death by his parents, and a sister, Jill Witt.