Stuart T. Murphy

Stuart Tower Murphy, Lt Col USAF (Ret) of Austin, Texas, died peacefully at age 93 on December 3, 2022.



Stuart was known best for his hard work, intelligence, and humor. Born during the Great Depression, the oldest of three children, he was raised on a poultry farm in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. He was only a boy when his family""'s chickens were wiped out by disease. Their home had to be sold, and Stuart helped turn the chicken coop into livable quarters for the impoverished family. His sister, Carol, reminisced about Stuart's collection of science magazines hidden under his bed. His electrical and mechanical skills earned him the nickname "The Wizard of Wamesit." As a teen, he was proud to be the town librarian, always able to recommend the best book to each resident. 



He put himself through college at the University of New Hampshire by working multiple jobs, including the one that would forever change his life: a dishwasher. While at work one day, he met the love of his life, Muriel. When he noticed the ice cream scooper hard at work, he chivalrously offered to help her. She became his bride six weeks later. Together, they traveled the world during his distinguished Air Force pilot career, which included assignments in Texas, Florida, Bermuda, Georgia, New Guinea, Eniwetok Atoll, Vietnam, Germany, and California. As a weather reconnaissance pilot (hurricane hunter) in Bermuda, he searched for and flew into the eyes of hurricanes. He gathered data to predict their course, speed, and strength in the days before weather satellites. He saved the lives of two fighter pilots who were downed by a mid-air collision in the vast Atlantic Ocean east of Bermuda by locating them and guiding a Coast Guard cutter to their rescue. 



His service earned him numerous awards and medals, including the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, and the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross. Upon retirement from the Air Force after 28 years, Stuart owned and operated a heating and air conditioning business for 25 years in Austin, Texas, where he and Muriel also raised llamas and goats. 



Stuart loved coffee, ice cream, and coffee ice cream and always had a drawer full of chocolates in his refrigerator.  He took great pleasure in such little things and was known for saying, "I've been lucky all my life!" His gratitude was paired with a strong sense of humor. When informed that his granddaughter's job was producing chicken from stem cells, Stuart quipped, "Isn't that best left to the chickens?"



He is predeceased by his parents, Ruby Elizabeth and Stuart Hard Murphy, his wife of 61 years, Dr. Muriel Eva Murphy, his son, Dr. Frank Stuart Murphy, and his brother, Lt Col Gene Murphy. He is survived by his daughters, Dr. Carla Elizabeth Murphy and Lisa Carol Cashman, and her husband, Lt Col Richard Cashman. He is also survived by his sister, Carol Mackey, and his eight beloved grandchildren, Kevin Cashman and his wife, Tierney, Dr. Lauren Ferguson and her husband, Mark, Austin McKay, Ryan McKay, Allison McKay, Ben Murphy, Elliot Murphy, and Jackson Murphy, as well as his late son's wife, Marie Murphy, two great-granddaughters, Emerson and Juniper Cashman, and many nieces and nephews.



Burial will be at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that those who are able instead donate to The Air Force Aid Society: https://afas.org/.



We want to express our sincere gratitude to Dr. Steve Derdak for his treasured support and friendship to our family over many years.