October 6 2015: MURPHY, George Calvin “Murph”

GEORGE CALVIN MURPHY

George Calvin Murphy, known to all as “Murph”, was born in Uledi, near Uniontown, Pennsylvania on November 8, 1925, and passed away October 4, 2015 at Charlotte Hall Veterans Home, Maryland. He was the only child of George William Murphy and Martha Virginia Colvin Murphy, and was raised in Martinsburg, West Virginia. His father died when Murph was 13, and he supported his mother by a newspaper route and delivering groceries by bicycle. During his junior and senior years, he attended class in the morning and worked full time at the A&P Grocery. He graduated from Martinsburg High School, class of 1943. Murph was a veteran of World War II, having served in the United States Army 254th Infantry Regiment – 63rd Infantry Division. He saw action at Hill 216, near Colmar, and was wounded February 1, 1945 during the Battle of Jebsheim in the Alsace region of north-east France. Murph was awarded the Purple Heart. His unit was recognized by two Presidential Citations for their role in helping to open the Rhine River Valley, leading to the defeat of Berlin. The 254th was also awarded the Croix de Guerre with Palm by the French government. After recovering from his war injuries, he managed several A&P grocery stores in Martinsburg, West Virginia, Hagerstown, Maryland and the Washington area. He went on to work at the Hotel Washington, where he was a manager for the better part of 40 years. It was there he met his wife of 33 years, Mary K. Powers of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Together, they raised a family of nine children in Hyattsville, Maryland.Murph was known for his love of coaching basketball as a volunteer for Green Meadows Boys Club. His teams achieved a streak of undefeated seasons, at one point winning 50 games consecutively. Murph was a life-long Washington Redskins fan. He was also an avid follower of University of Maryland basketball and football.Murph was preceded in death by his daughter, Kathleen Ann (1978), wife Mary (1986) and son Robert Eugene (1990). He is survived by his children Michael William Murphy of Crofton, MD, Thomas Edward Murphy of Baltimore, MD, Mary Patricia Catena of New Carrollton, MD, Sharon Ann Seymour of Longs, SC, Sandra Kay Warner of Pawleys Island, SC, Jean Marie Alison of Pawleys Island, SC and John Gary Murphy of Derby, KS. He is also survived by 11 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.The family wishes to express sincere gratitude to the staff at Charlotte Hall Veterans Home for their care of Murph during his final years of life.