MURPHY, Joseph Anthony

Joseph Anthony Murphy, Jr. passed away on June 8th, 2007, at the age of 73. Mr. Murphy was born July 30th, 1933 in Pittsburgh, PA, and raised in the Sheraden neighborhood. He served in the U. S. Marine Corps as an aviation electronics operator during the Korean War, and received the United Nations Medal, Korean Service Medal and the National Service Defense Medal. In 1957, he married Dolores Krawczyk of Pittsburgh, to whom he remained devoted his entire life. Mr. Murphy graduated from the University of Pittsburgh on the GI Bill with a degree in Electrical Engineering in 1958 and was an engineer involved in pioneering automation processes with U. S. and National Steel for 29 years. He transformed a number of metal plants to computer-automated operations in the late 1960s, holds 4 U. S. Patents, and received the Robert Francy Award for the Best Technical Paper at the National Symposium on Instrumentation in the Metals Industry in 1972. Toward the end of his career he designed, oversaw construction and ran state-of-the art Data Centers for Genix in Pittsburgh, and Peter Kiewit of Omaha, and retired to Scottsdale, AZ. He is survived by his beloved wife and four children, Mary Russell of Greenwich, CT, Joseph Murphy III of Gainesville, FL, Valerie Dougherty of Pittsburgh, PA, and Jean Murphy Rude of Iowa City, IA, and ten grandchildren who loved him dearly. A memorial service was held at St. Bernard of Clairvaux Catholic Church, 10755 N. 124th St., Scottsdale, AZ. Contributions may be sent to the St. Vincent De Paul Society. Arrangements entrusted to Hansen Desert Hills Mortuary, 480-991-5800. May he rest with the Lord. Published in The Arizona Republic on 6/12/2007.