GRANBURY — Pike Calvin “Pawpaw” Murphy, 79, born in Spur, Texas on Halloween in 1932 and passed from this earthly world at 79 years young on April 5, 2012.
Viewing services will be at Wiley Funeral Home in Granbury, Texas on April 9th, 2012 from 8 am until 3 pm. The family will be present from 1 to 3 p.m.
Interment will be in the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery with full military honors when Joyce is ready to join him.
Memorials: In lieu of flowers or memorials, the family requests that you please do a good deed or service for someone in his name.
Pike was a loving husband, father, grandfather, uncle and friend to many; a farmer, civil engineer, inventor and world traveller. He was one of the richest people in Texas due to the love and admiration he had acquired from Australia and Samoa to Puerto Rico, England and Germany. Pike retired from the U.S. Air Force Reserve as a Chief Master Sergeant and from the U.S. Air Force civil service at Carswell Air Force Base in Ft. Worth, Texas. He was highly skilled as an Air Force senior leader, heating and air conditioning craftsman, firefighter, police officer and U.S. Navy sailor.
Pike was the final member of his generation in this West Texas, pioneer family. He was the last of his Murphy line, who had been true American land pioneers beginning back at least to 1690 with Simon Murfie in Virginia. In the early 1970’s Pike and his loving wife Joyce purchased, cleared and worked some land into a small farm on the Brazos River in Mitchell Bend near Granbury, Texas.
As 9th of 9 children, he was preceeded in death by his father, Joseph Albert Murphy in 1946, mother Maggie Mae Murphy in 1968, with four brothers and four sisters also passing before him.
Survivors: Pike is survived by the love of his life for over 57 years, Joyce L. Murphy, of Mitchell Bend, TX. Other survivors include son Mark and wife Oliana Murphy with grandson Mark “Leko” Murphy and granddaughter Christina Murphy, son Monte and wife Robin Murphy with granddaughter Shannon Murphy and grandson Ryan Murphy, son Milton and wife Kim Murphy, with grandson Christopher Murphy. Pike has many nieces, nephews and military and civilian friends around the world.
Wiley Funeral Home
Granbury, 817-573-3000