JAMES WILLIAM MURPHREE

MURPHREE, James William(Bill), Eastern Airlines, (Ret.Captain) died Saturday, November 28, 2009 at NewnanHospital of Parkinson's disease. He was seventy-nineyears old. He was born May17, 1930 in Montgomery, Alabama. He is preceded indeath by his parents: FrancisSherry Murphree and EulalaMae (Blackmon) Murphree,brother Francis Sherry Murphree Jr. and sister KatherineMurphree Marshall. Captain Murphree beganhis career as a crop dustingpilot in Alabama after servingin the Alabama NationalGuard. He later became aflight instructor at Auburn University. In 1957 he became apilot for Eastern Airlines andwas based in Atlanta for theduration of his career, retiringin 1989 as a Senior Captainflying the Airbus A-300 aircraft. He married Gloria DonnellyMurphree on January 9, 1954in Montgomery, Alabama.They were married for fifty sixyears and had two daughters, Lynn Murphree Finneyand Susan Murphree Ebersbach. The Murphrees movedfrom Atlanta to Newnan,Georgia in 1973 and havecontinually remained residents of Coweta County. After retirement he becamean ultralight aircraft enthusiast and flew out of his ownairstrip at his home in Newnan. Although diagnosedwith Parkinson's disease shortly after retirement, CaptainMurphree continued to enjoytaking care of his farm inCoweta County and waterskiing at his lake home atLake Martin, Alabama. Condolences may be sentto the family online atwww.Mckoon.com. Captain Murphree is survived by his widow, Gloria D.Murphree, his daughters LynnM. Finney and Susan M.(Randy) Ebersbach, grandchildren, Gloria-Ruth Finney,John Randall Ebersbach, andRichard Murphree Ebersbach.He is also survived by nephews, Otis Douglas Marshall III(Earlena), Dr. Donald Marshall and nieces, Kay Marshall Ott, and Sherry ElizabethMurphree. Visitation will be held atMcKoon Funeral Home, Newnan, Georgia on Monday,November 30, 2009 at 1:00PM, followed by gravesideservices at 3:00 PM at Oak HillCemetery, Newnan, Georgia.Dr. Joel Richardson will officiate. Mckoon Funeral Home(770) 253-4580