Robert Sean Murphy

Robert Sean Murphy, an engineer and veteran of the technology world of Silicon Valley, died on December 26, 2022 at the age of 51. He succumbed following a two-year battle with esophageal cancer, which had been diagnosed in July of 2020.

Sean fought his cancer with determination - he educated himself about the disease and availed himself of new therapies which resulted in complete remission for 8 months, which was remarkable given the advanced state of his cancer when he was diagnosed. It was during this cancer-free period that he and his wife, Karen Cheng, elected to have a baby. A beautiful and healthy son, Norris Daniel Murphy, was born in April 2022.

Sean was born in Pensacola, Florida on December 31, 1970 to Edmund Murphy, currently of Washington, and Delia Dudley (Stewart) of Florida. In addition to his wife and son, his parents survive him, as does his half sister, Kerry Murphy of South Carolina.

Sean was raised in Florida, graduating from Miami Sunset Senior High School in 1988. Sean attended the University of Florida on a full academic scholarship, studying mechanical engineering. It was during his time in Gainesville that Sean joined the collegiate cycling team and began his lifelong affair with bicycles. He shared his passion for riding with his wife Karen, and together they served as assistant coaches for the Black Mountain Composite, a high school and National Interscholastic Cycling Association team. Sean and Karen also shared the same passion for skiing and travelled around the world to explore many ski destinations.

Following his matriculation from the University of Florida, Sean worked as a computer programmer on satellite communications for a Department of Defense Contractor in Colorado Springs. He then attended the Georgia Institute of Technology and was awarded a Masters of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1997.

Sean moved to the Bay Area and joined Hewlett-Packard as a mechanical engineer in 1997 where he remained for 3 years. He continued with Agilent - an HP spinoff, for an additional 5 years, continuing in the next spinout with an additional year at Avago. In 2006 he went to work for Apple Inc. and helped develop the first iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPod, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and the first fabric Smart Keyboard. He remained at Apple for over 9 years, contributing to the development of a diverse set of products, reflecting his wide-ranging interests and skills as an engineer. Sean was the inventor or co-inventor on more than 30 design and utility patents.

Sean left Apple in 2015 and worked at a startup Otto LLC for over two years followed by a stint with ChargePoint as a Senior Product Development Manager before joining Google Nest as a Senior Product Design Engineer in September of 2019. He kept in contact with many of his coworkers throughout his time in Silicon Valley.

In September, Sean, Karen and Norri hosted a "Celebration of Life" at their home, attended by 120 or so of his friends from all walks of their life - work, cycling, skiing and the neighborhoods where they had lived. Conversations began with "how do you know Sean and Karen?" The answers reflected the diversity of their interests and the friendships that were kindled in their life together. It was Sean's preference that the Celebration would be his memorial. No additional services are planned at this time. Donations in his name may be made to Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (https://www.openspace.org).

If you would like to share any sentiments and memories of Sean with his family, please send to kycheng116@gmail.com.