John Arthur Murphy

1945 - 2025

John Arthur Murphy
11/07/1945 - 09/13/2025
John Arthur Murphy of Pacifica, California passed away at home on September 13, 2025.He died of heart failure. On the day of his death, he was surrounded by loving family and caring friends; he had a truly peaceful death.
John was born on November 7, 1945 in Camden, Arkansas to Ashley Thomas Murphy Jr. and Marjorie (Moore) Murphy. He was the third and youngest child in the family, joining his brother Tom (Ashley Thomas Murphy III) and his sister Margaret. All three children were born in cities throughout the American South. When John was six years old, the family moved from Omaha, Nebraska to Bellflower, California, where John attended local schools, graduating from Bellflower High School in 1963.
John attended Long Beach State University, majoring in philosophy, eventually attending San Francisco State University, graduating with a degree in chemistry.
John loved his work as a chemist and as a laboratory director. He also managed remediation of hazardous sites in the Bay Area and in other parts of the United States. Shortly before his death, he was still working, selling greenhouse gas sensors and mentoring others.
John was a spiritual person and was very active in St. Edmund's Episcopal Church, leading some services and befriending the congregants. He loved to cook and to build furniture and was proud that the food he cooked was eaten at the dining room table that he built. He loved church hymns and the Grateful Dead. He loved hiking, camping in the mountains and traveling the world, including watching eclipses in faraway countries. He had a life filled with adventure. John worked to save the environment, working with local groups to preserve open space.
One of his proudest accomplishments was entering the recovery community in the 1980s.
John is survived by his wife Susan Grandfield, his adult children, Joshua (Susan), Carrie (Bob) and Ashley (Courtney), ten grandchildren and many beloved nieces and nephews. John was preceded in death by his parents, Marjorie and Ashley Murphy and his brother Tom Murphy and sister Margaret Williams.
A memorial service for John will be held at St. Edmund's Episcopal Church in Pacifica on October 25, 2025 at 12 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Pacifica Land Trust, Sierra Club, Habitat for Humanity or a cause of your choice.
John will be forever in our hearts.