Thomas Murphy

1934 - 2023

Thomas L. Murphy, 89, died in his sleep on November 15, 2023. He was born in Springfield, IL on Oct 8, 1934. Preceded in death by his parents, Louis and Ruth Murphy; His Wife Sonya; His brother, Richard; His sister Marilyn; and daughter, Pamela Calder, son Mark Murphy and daughter Denise Mackie. He is survived by his children, Richard, and Timothy; 18 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Thomas grew up in Springfield, IL, and Graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He met his future wife, Sonya, while working as interns for the Illinois Hwy Dept. They were married on January 28, 1956. Thomas accepted a job working for China Lake Naval Weapons Station and they moved to Southern Cal where they had five children. They moved to Los Gatos in 1965, and he worked for FMC and had his own company FMI/California Garden Products. Thomas and Sonya were active in the Mavericks Square Dance Club. They retired to Las Vegas in 1995. In Las Vegas, Thomas became a master woodworker and also worked for an ADA compliance company that inspected the new hotels that were being constructed. They moved to Manteca, CA in 2008 to be closer to their children and grandchildren. In 2022 Thomas moved back to San Jose.Mass will be held on Saturday, January 27, 2024, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Los Gatos at 11:00 a.m., followed by a reception in the Hofmann Hall. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Catholic Charities or your local Catholic Church.The burial will be private.