Neil Eugene Murphy

1938 - 2023

Neil Eugene Murphy, loving husband, father, and grandfather, passed away peacefully on November 4th after a long and valiant struggle with Parkinson's disease. He was born July 19, 1938 in Carlisle, PA to Samuel & Gladys (Dherit) Murphy. He was predeceased by his wife Patricia (1934-2010) and survived by son Mark (Daniel Kenney), son Patrick (Jennifer Farrell), and his three grandchildren, William 21, Margaret 17 & Robert 17. He is also survived by brother William Murphy of Colorado. He was predeceased by sister Catherine and older brother Samuel Jr..Neil graduated from Carlisle High School in 1955. He studied to be a pharmacist before turning his focus to engineering. Neil proudly served in the U.S. Navy from 1958 to 1962 during the Cuban missile crisis & spent time overseas in Turkey and Rota, Spain. It was while working overseas in Wiesbaden, Germany as a government contractor that he met and married his beloved wife Patti. They were married in 1966 and spent 44 amazing years as loving spouses, proud parents and grandparents, and best friends. Neil started his career at Madigan Electronics as a Field Service Engineer before joining Technicon, a medical testing and device company where he would enjoy a long career in Operations that took him to Terrytown, NY & Minneapolis, MN. The family eventually settled in sunny Riverside, CA, trading snow for traffic. Neil retired from Technicon (now Bayer) in 1997. Upon retirement, Neil's boundless energy kept him active. He and Patti loved to travel, he was an avid tennis player (and occasional golfer), and dog lover. If you didn't find him watching his favorite Eagles playing on TV, you'd find him out tinkering on his workbench, where the man could fix anything. He and Patti also stayed active volunteering in the military community, serving military veterans at the Riverside National Cemetery with American Legion Post 69, and volunteering at the March Field Air Museum for years. Of all the qualities Neil possessed it was his sense of humor that many will remember him for. He was always ready with a joke or a funny story from his past, and he loved making people laugh (anyone who would make eye contact was fair game!). Those who knew him well won't be surprised to know he kept that sense of humor all the way up until his last hours on this earth. On Monday, November 27th at 10:15 am a Military service honoring Neil will be held at Riverside National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.