Remembering the life of Philip Murphy (2024)

Philip J. Murphy (Phil) of Madelia, MN passed away at the age of 84 on July 6, 2024, due to complications from treatment for lymphoma.
Philip was born on January 12, 1940, to Roy and Bernadine Murphy. The oldest of six children, he grew up on the family farm outside of Madelia in Ceresco Township. There he learned the value of hard work, being frugal, and the art of shooting baskets with a corncob into the basketball rim his father had attached to the barn. Most importantly, his parents taught him the value of getting an education, a lesson which he later passed along to his own children.
He attended Madelia High School where he participated in football, baseball, and his favorite sport of basketball. While he was not a star player on the team, he did make a half-court shot to win one game, and often bragged about fouling out in less than a quarter in another game, which he thought had to qualify as some sort of record.
He graduated in 1958 from Madelia and then attended St. John's University. There he was humorously accused of "flaunting his B average" to his fellow classmates, many of whom carried much better GPAs. He also was elected president of the "Stein Club" at the LaPlayette Bar in St. Joseph's, which entitled him to unlimited 5 cent beer refills. Late in his senior year, through mutual friends, he met the love of his life, Rosemary (Gage) Murphy, who was then a student at St. Catherine's University. He graduated from St. John's in 1962 and attended law school at the University of Minnesota. He and Rosemary were married on December 28, 1963, in Mount Prospect, IL.
After graduating from law school in 1965, he passed the MN bar exam and was sworn in as a lawyer on the same day the MN Twins played and won Game 6 of the World Series against the LA Dodgers, a game which he also attended. It is a tossup which event he enjoyed more. He and Rosemary settled in Madelia, where he joined Cecil J. Manahan's law office. He was a "small town" lawyer for the next 50+ years. He served as City Attorney for many of those years, served as District President of the MN State Bar Association, mentored numerous young attorneys, and provided legal services to countless clients with dedication, integrity, and compassion.
Phil loved his lifelong hometown of Madelia, MN and there he and Rosemary raised their six children. He was an active member of the community and, in particular, of the St. Mary's parish, where he helped start the Parish Endowment Fund and was still actively serving on the Calvary Cemetery Board. Phil was a pillar of the community and never stopped donating his time to any cause that made the town stronger, including the Lions Club, Watonwan County Historical Society, Farmers State Bank Board, Madelia Strong, countless school and community fundraisers, and volunteering as a Senior Driver for those in need. He deeply loved any type of reunion, and particularly enjoyed Madelia's All School Reunions when he would get a chance to catch up with many Madelia High School alumni. He also loved keeping in touch with his many St. John 's friends and classmates. If there was any chance to connect with people, Phil was there.
A passionate sports fan, Phil marked time by major sporting events and was a dedicated follower of all professional Minnesota sports teams, the St John's Johnnies, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and any small-town Minnesota team who made it to the State High School Basketball Tournament. Phil also loved to keep up on current events and read several newspapers every day.
Phil's greatest joy was his family. He loved being involved in the lives of his six children, attending all of their various high school sporting and band events (including away games). He was proud of putting all six children through college, and enjoyed visiting them on campus. He also adored his seven grandchildren, with whom he loved spending time playing card games, taking walks around Lake Harriet, and of course attending their basketball games and swimming meets.
Philip and Rosemary enjoyed traveling and took many trips to Europe and Latin America, including to Chile, where they were able to visit Jalil Said, the foreign exchange student they had hosted in 1991.
Philip is preceded in death by his parents, Roy and Bernadine Murphy, and his sister Kathleen. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Rosemary, and their six children and spouses: Christopher, Margaret (Steve Olin), Matthew (Liz Meiley), Gregory (David Engen), Joseph (Carolyn), and Thomas (Becky), and grandchildren Juliet, Connor, Liam, Teddy, Charlie, Madeline, and Anna. He is also survived by his siblings and their spouses: Capt. Rosemary Murphy, Suzie (Leon) Corressell, Sheila Murphy, and John (Alece) Murphy, as well as his nieces and nephews, and many dear friends from every chapter of his life.
Visitation is scheduled for Wednesday, July 17th from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at Sturm Funeral Home in Madelia, and again at 9 a.m. on Thursday morning. The funeral mass begins at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 18th at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Madelia, followed by burial at Calvary Cemetery and a luncheon at St. Mary's Catholic School.

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Published on July 10, 2024