Ben W. Murphy, 95, of Vero Beach, passed away Sept. 6, 2016.
Murphy was born in 1921 to Ben and Mary Lou Burton Murphy in Central Georgia. The name “Warwick” came from the last name of his mother’s minister, and the name, “Ben” from his father. He grew up on a farm, tending to the animals, planting crops, and learning to play the harmonica, the guitar and the autoharp. In addition, there were two main churches in the local area, and he would maintain the grounds of both.
When he was a little boy, he ordered discounted male chickens by mail, paying 50 cents for two pounds. Around 5 a.m. each morning, once the chickens were old enough, they would all crow simultaneously.
Murphy became a brother when he was 14-years-old to Mary Jean Martin. He named her after his mother, Mary, and the actress, Jean Harlowe.
When he was a teenager, he developed a self-feeding pig’s trough which won him a scholarship from the Future Farmers of America and a feature story in Farmer’s Magazine. Food would go in at the top and would automatically refill in his invention.
Also, when Murphy was a teenager, he would provide musical accompaniment with the guitar to a local one-family band while the family played lead for local square dances. They would play such songs as “She’ll be Comin’ Around the Mountain,” another song with the first line, “It was at Aunt Dina’s Quilting Party that I was Seeing Nellie Home,” and “When the Moon comes over the Mountain, “I’ll be Waiting There for You.”
He played the autoharp at his high school graduation and received a standing ovation after he played the song, “Red River Valley.” After he graduated from high school, he attended the University of Georgia and played in a band known as “Lightening Murphy and the Georgia Bulldogs.” He was named “Lightening Murphy” because he was so fast. He played the harmonica and the guitar in this band which played for square dances and was heard on the radio on Saturday nights. In addition to square dance music, another one of his favorite songs to play was “My Old Kentucky Home.” He also played for his home church occasionally as a guest musician whenever he would come back to visit.
After two years of studying agriculture at the University of Georgia, Murphy decided to enlist in the Army and joined World War II. He was then assigned to a ship which was to go directly into the war to Japan, but that ship was re-directed to another location in Germany. Murphy oversaw more than 100 men as an administrative master sergeant at that location.
Ben was also stationed in the United States a number of times and met his first wife, Helen Norris, in Columbus, Ga., when he was stationed at the Army recruiting station there. Mutual friends introduced them to each other at the recreational center and skating rink near the recruiting office. He and Helen married in 1951, and while Murphy was still in the Army, they both spent a year together in Europe. In 1961, when they still lived in Georgia, they had their only daughter, Janice Dianne, where they lived along the border of Georgia and South Carolina.
Murphy was in the army from 1942 to 1946 and 1948 to 1952, receiving an honorable discharge. He went to photography school and owned his own photography studio from 1946 to 1947. He also owned his own TV and stereo shop for one year (1953) after the army before going into the skating rink business for 20 years. In 1968, the Murphy’s sold their skating rink and moved to Vero Beach with their only daughter.
In 1979, Helen, died from cancer. They had been married for 28 years. He said, about 10 years ago, looking back, he thought it was the end, but really it was just the beginning because he met Vicky (Victoria Estrada) in 1984 and married her in 1985. They were married for more than 30 years. They traveled to the Grand Canyon and Guatemala and took a number of site-seeing trips together, enjoying more than 20 years before Murphy’s health declined. Vicky has loyally cared for him and has devoted herself to him, especially over the last several years during his illness.
Murphy’s only daughter, Janice Dianne, married in 1994 to William Annis, Jr. They have been married for more than 20 years and have three children, who are grandchildren to Murphy, the firstborn being named after him as the most senior grandfather in the family. Ben was born in 2003, Abigail in 2011, and Joseph in 2012. They have all been grateful to have him as father, father-in-law and grandfather and to call him, “Daddy” and “Papa.”
The family will receive friends on Sept. 16, 2016, from 5 to 7 p.m. with a prayer service to be held at 6:30 p.m. at Cox Gifford Seawinds Funeral Home in Vero Beach. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 12 p.m. Sept. 17, 2016, at St. Helen Catholic Church. Interment will take place at later date at Crestlawn Cemetery. Memorial Contributions are requested to VNA Hospice Foundation. Cox Gifford Seawinds Funeral Home and Crematory is handling arrangements.
