of West Memphis, AR
March 21, 1925 - June 13, 2021
United States Army veteran, Thomas Earl Murphy, Sr. (Tom), of West Memphis, AR, passed away on June 13, 2021, at age 96. Tom is preceded in death by his wife, Trudy Owen Murphy; two daughters, Jan Hylander and Nancy Ezell; parents, Allison and Corinne (Bishop) Murphy; three sisters, F. E. Byrd, Skeet Cook, and Johnnie Henson; and two brothers, Buddy Murphy and Bobby Murphy.
Tom is survived by two sons, Ted Murphy (Mary) of Long Beach, MS, and Gill Murphy (Diane) of Turrell, AR; a sister, Pat Ricketts (Charles) of Germantown, TN; several nieces and nephews; 15 grandchildren, and 21 great-grandchildren.
Tom is a recipient of the distinguished Purple Heart medal and other citations for his service in World War II. He retired from a lengthy career with the Arkansas State Highway Department in 1986. Tom and Trudy attended the First United Methodist Church in West Memphis.
After an enjoyable day of yard work, Tom insisted on an ice-cold Coke instead of a glass of water. He and Trudy loved seeing the country in their travel trailer and meeting fellow Good Sam Club members at each destination. Tom traveled with his sons and a long-time friend to the Grand Canyon in 2012.
Tom's playlist favorites were Elvis Presley, Marty Robbins, and the Gaither Vocal Band. He was raised in the farming community of Dyess, AR, hometown of the legendary Johnny Cash.
Family and friends are welcome to attend the 1:00 p.m. visitation and the 2:00 p.m. service on Saturday, June 19, 2021, at Roller-Citizens Funeral Home, 201 N. Pine Street, West Memphis, AR (870-735-1000), rollerfuneralhomes.com. Burial will follow at Crittenden Memorial Park, 2206 Highway 64 West, in Marion, AR.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation to Fuel the Mission (fuelthemission.org), a Christian non-profit organization founded and operated by Tom's granddaughter, Janet Watkins Nevins, and her husband, Christopher Nevins.
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3 Condolence(s)
Bo McElya
Friday, June 18, 2021
Gill and Diane,
Sorry to hear of your loss. You are in my prayers. Look to God for comfort and He will provide.
Janet Watkins Nevins
Thursday, June 17, 2021
Thank you, Teresa, for sharing such a sweet message about granddaddy. Although I miss him dearly, I too look forward to a heavenly reunion. And I will enjoy being with family and friends this weekend.
Teresa McCain
Tuesday, June 15, 2021
The friendship I shared with Mr. Murphy enriched my life beyond measure. He was a father figure to me and I so enjoyed just being in his company. We could talk about anything and everything and I always left with a new perspective on things and knowledge I didn’t have before we conversed. The memories I have of him will see me through until I see him again in God’s presence. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.