Dell Murphy

Obituary of Dell Murphy

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Dell Murphy went home to be with his Lord and Savior on August 26, 2025 at his home in Bastrop with his wife Judi by his side holding his hand. A Celebration of His Life funeral service will be held on Saturday, August 30, at 11:00 am with Visitation from 10:00 - 11:00 immediately prior to service, with his son, Dr. Jason Murphy, Pastor of Grace Chapel in Collierville, TN officiating. Interment will follow at Oak Ridge Cemetery.

Roy LaDell 'Dell' Murphy was born Nov. 7 , 1946 in Jones La to Betress Armstrong Murphy and Cliss Murphy. He graduated from Mer Rouge High School and attended NLU now known as ULM. He was a great all around athlete and Catcher, also known for his hitting, and for his Fall Away Jumpshot on the basketball court.

Dell Murphy's life revolved around his family. He was the most selfless man we've ever known, we talked about that often. He was always thinking of us, his wife and kids and grandkids and great grandkids. He always put us first and supported us in every thing we did. He loved the Lord and faithfully served Him . He led by example and he lived what he taught. We all knew that and each of us loved and respected him with our whole being. He was the rock of the family, a calm , steady presence always there, always dependable. The Calmness amidst the Chaos many times. We all thrived in the love and care we received from him. We all adored him and loved him so much. He and his life taught us many lessons and we saw how his faith helped sustain us all through the hard times.

Ultimately it was his knowledge and passion for baseball and basketball, along with his personality and ability to relate to players that allowed him to be such a successful Coach and caused kids to want to play for him and parents to want their kids to play for him. He truly loved the kids and he loved teaching them. He worked many years in the Powerhouse as a GM at IP, but he missed his calling because he was born to Coach and teach. He won many Championships, both as a Coach and player, and he was excited about that, but his true joy came from being able to help the players he coached not just by improving their skills but by unlocking their hidden potential and by believing in them and encouraging and developing them . He wanted each player to succeed in life, not just on the field. And he taught them a standard. Our kids were among those players.

He was a man of great faith and it was reflected in the way he treated his players and people. He impacted lives. He was strong and honorable. He taught classes at Church and was always willing to fill in or do any thing a Pastor asked him to do. That has always been a major part of his and our lives.

The void he left is so great and we will miss him with every breath we take, but we are so grateful for the great legacy he left us. Dell was preceded in death by his daughter, Donna Renee Harrell Whetstone; grandsons, Colby and Micah Whetstone; his parents, Cliss and Betress Murphy; brothers, Billy Keith and Eugene Murphy; sister, Martha Murphy; mother and father-in-law, Alice and Marion Clark. Those left to cherish and honor his memory- his wife of 54 years and love of his life- Judi; sons, Patrick Harrell and Ingrid, Shon Murphy, Jason Murphy and wife Kelly; grandchildren, Ryan and Cally Whetstone, Caden Whetstone, Kelsey Murphy and Cravyn, Josiah and Chelsea Murphy, Kylah Murphy, Moriah Murphy; great grandchildren, MaKenna, Baylen, and Cam Whetstone, Colton and Carter Shon Caldwell, Hayes, Wylie, Greer and Jovie Whetstone and Elijah Murphy; and brother, Pat Murphy.

Serving as pallbearers will be, Ryan Whetstone, Josiah Murphy, Cravyn Caldwell, Derek Schoen, Brandon Harrell, Lance Rogers, Colby Daniels, and Caden Whetstone.

We love you so much, Dad and PawPaw. How you blessed our lives! Dell- you are the greatest man I have ever known- I love you, Judi- We will see you again in Heaven one day. So, Until We Meet Again… From all of us