Kathy L. Murphy

Kathy L. Murphy, 76, of Brighton, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, November 6, 2025 at Methodist Hospital North.
Kathy was a strong willed, independent woman. She loved life but loved her family even more. She was proud to say that she was a Smith, Huffman, Davis and Shoaf. Her boys and her grandkids were always at the front of her mind. Because her granddaughters lived close to her growing up, she taught them to carry themselves in the world the way she did – fierce and independent. She was loyal to a fault but gave of herself completely.
If you were to ask her what she did for a living, the answer would be lengthy. She was always working, hustling and getting things done. Her mother once said that even if nobody else had a job, Kathy had one. Most of her life, she worked in restaurants. Over the years, she worked at The Place and Studebakers in Memphis, Daddy Jack's in Dyersburg and Claybrook Steak House in Atoka. When she was not working in the food service industry, she worked for Avon, managed two apartment complexes, worked at Uncle Sam's in Brighton, was a self-employed process server and finally retired from PNL Marketing when her health would not allow her to continue working. Once she retired, she was content to stay at home with her cats and catch up on the world through Facebook.
She is survived by two sons, Jonathan (Christy) Murphy of Brighton and Christopher Murphy of Clayton, OH; one sister, Gina Caplena Ellis of Bartlett; four grandchildren, Madeleine (Scott) Burke of Chapel Hill, TN; Sophia Murphy of Memphis, Zachary Murphy and Joshua Murphy, both of Clayton, OH; two step-grandchildren, Maria Goldring of Memphis and Isaac Goldring of Brighton; two great grandchildren, Charlotte and Sam Burke; her beloved aunt, Shirley Davis Davie of Covington and numerous cousins who treated each other like brothers and sisters. She was preceded in death by her father, Norman Smith; her mother, Joy Davis Caplena; one sister, Mary Grace Caplena and her uncles, Bill Jim and Rob Roy Davis.
She will be laid to rest next to her grandmother, Johnnie Davis, aka Muna, who she spoke of almost every day. She will be greatly missed.
Graveside services will be held at 2 p.m. on Monday, November 10 at R. H. Munford Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 12 noon until 1:30 on Monday at the Covington Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Covington Animal Rescue Effort or Whiskers Wishes in her name.