Fred A. Murdock

Fred A. Murdock, 90, of Kansas City, Missouri, passed away Tuesday, May 1, 2012. A Memorial Service will be held at McGilley State Line Chapel on Saturday, May 12th at 4:00 p.m. Visitation will be held from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. prior to the service.

Fred was born October 30, 1921 in Milan, MO. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. George Murdock who owned and operated the Murdock Ice and Coal Company in Milan. Upon graduating from Milan High School, he enrolled at the University of Missouri at Columbia. After the outbreak of World War II, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1942. He was a Technical Sergeant in the Pacific Theater and worked with radar, a new technology at the time. He was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps in October of 1945. Later, he enlisted in the Army and participated in the reconstruction of Japan until his honorable discharge from the Army in 1949.

He resumed his education and received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Missouri in 1951 and his LL.B. from the University of Missouri School of Law in 1952. Fred was on the editorial staff of the Missouri Law Review. He received the Foundation prize, the James S. Rollins Scholarship, and The Order of the Coif. He was a member of Alpha Pi Zeta honorary fraternity and Phi Delta Phi legal fraternity.

Fred practiced law in Kansas City throughout his career. He was a member of the law firm of Johnson, Lucas, Bush and Gibson for many years and then opened his own practice. He was a member of the American Bar and Kansas City Bar Associations and the Lawyers Association of Kansas City. He was appointed by Governor Hearnes to serve as Chairman of the Board of Election Commissioners for Kansas City, Missouri and served on the Board for 8 years. After retiring, Fred and his wife, Mary, enjoyed traveling the world. He loved sports, opera, and politics. He was a lifelong democrat who voted in every election since becoming eligible to vote.

Fred was preceded in death by his parents and eight siblings. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Mary (Gibson) Murdock; son, Fred, Jr. (Gina) Murdock; daughter, Marilyn (Scott) Urschel; grandchildren, Rob and Dana Murdock, Ben, Sam and Molly Urschel and brothers-in-law Richard (Carolyn), Harry Gibson, and sister-in-law Mary Lee Murdock.