John Murphy Jr.

Murphy, John Jr.
77, died July 12, 2014 at his home in Phoenix, AZ surrounded by his loved ones. John was born August 9th 1936 in La Habra, CA. John & his wife Judi were high school sweethearts at Newport Harbor High (CA) and were blessed with over 60 years of love & happiness together. John & Judi moved to Phoenix in 1963. Upon graduating from Arizona State University, John took a position with the Madison Elementary School District where he taught 4th and 5th grade at Simis and Meadows for over thirty years. In addition to teaching, John was a Scout Master, Little League and Softball Coach, Central High Swim Coach, and he enjoyed camping and extensive summer travels with his family in the U.S. Upon retirement from teaching, John & Judi began their traveling adventures in earnest, visiting 59 countries across the globe; and they finished off their visits to all 50 States with an Alaskan cruise in celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary with their family. John is survived by his wife, Judi; his four children and spouses, John Murphy III (Elisa), Jeff Procter-Murphy (Janice), Jane Scott (Lance), and Jennifer Schwarz (Jesse), along with his eight grandchildren (Melissa Smithson (Derek), Michael, Rachel, Claire, Andrew, Megan, Jacob, and Molly) and two great-grandchildren (Lily and John). John will be interred at the First United Methodist Church Memorial Garden in Phoenix. Prior to John's passing, many friends and former students were able to share stories through Facebook with John and his family reflecting how much he meant to them. His family would like to express their gratitude for the sharing of these memories. The family would also like to thank Peter Spang, John's best friend, for his support and friendship of nearly 50 years. John's legacy is the impact he made on his fellow travelers along his life's journey.