Richard J. Murphy

Richard J. Murphy passed away on Saturday, March 19, 2011 in the loving company of his family after a courageous battle with cancer. Born the third of six children to the late Richard Francis Murphy and the late Geraldine Johnson Murphy, he is survived by his beloved wife, Cindy and the two sons who brought endless hours of joy to his life; Richard Glenn Murphy of Cary and Johnson Kale Murphy of Wilmington. He is also survived by brothers Raymond F. Murphy of Vancouver, British Columbia; George R. Murphy of Benson; G. Patrick Murphy of Raleigh; Brian J. Murphy of Fayetteville and his sister, Sheila M. Locklear of Belmont. Born in Dunn, N.C., he grew up on Long Island, New York but spent his summers on the family farm in Johnston County. It was there that he learned the value of hard work and determination.

Mr. Murphy was a life long educator who spent his entire career in the Wake County Public School System and its predecessor, the Raleigh Public Schools. He completed his undergraduate degree at Campbell University where he was the first Campbell soccer player to be named to the All America team and where he later was inducted into the Hall of Fame. With an assistantship, he completed his graduate degree at the University of North Carolina and began a career in education that would span 36 years. He continued his studies at UNC during his eight years of teaching at Carnage Junior High School and later at Needham B. Broughton High School. The Board of Education named him the administrator of the Redirection program in 1979 and he later served as principal at East Wake High School and Jesse O. Sanderson High School. In 1993 he realized a lifelong dream when he was asked to open Leesville Road High School, the first new high school to open in Wake County since 1978. He was genuinely humbled by the extraordinary faculty, talented students and engaged parents that came together to form one of the premier high schools in the state. He later served the Wake County Board of Education as the Director of Secondary Programs, and upon his retirement he continued to consult with schools across the state to improve student learning.

Among the many accolades and offices he garnered, Mr. Murphy was particularly proud of his service as the President of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association and his membership on its Board of Directors that ushered in a new era of leadership and support for what he termed “the other half of education.” His reputation for developing future principals was also a source of pride, and he enjoyed interacting with students as he watched them grow throughout the high school years. He was grateful for the opportunities to further his studies at Harvard University and Beijing Normal University, and he relished the challenge of assisting struggling schools to improve the achievement of their students. In addition to being a life long educator, he was a life long learner.

Mr. Murphy and his family attended First United Methodist Church in Cary where their family was deeply involved in the United Methodist Committee on Relief, a mission ministry that supported the emergence of populations in strife torn countries. Through their sons Richard and Kale, they were able to offer comfort, aid and hope to many in Eastern European countries by allowing their sons to work in the youth centers across the region.

Mr. Murphy was devoted to the outdoors, and his favorite place was the beach. He enjoyed the miles of sand and surf, and he appreciated every season of the year. Max, the family golden retriever and he could be seen up and down the beach regardless of the season or the weather.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to First United Methodist Church of Cary.

A visitation will be held from 7pm until 9pm at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home in Cary on Tuesday, March 22, 2011 and a celebration of his life will be conducted by Reverend Dr. Carl Frazier at First United Methodist Church in Cary on Wednesday, March 23, 2011 at 3pm.

Condolences may be sent through www.brownwynnecary.com.