Adam Christopher Murphy

Adam Christopher Murphy, age 35, of Fort Wayne, Indiana passed away on Thursday, December 28, 2023. On March 23, 1988, Adam C. surprised his parents and took the nursing staff at McKenzie Willamette Hospital in Springfield, Oregon by storm. His breech presentation required his mother to undergo an emergency c-section at 3:11 am. Grandma Mary was a special guest that early morn, when he made his entrance into the world. Three days later, he went to live in his 800 square foot rented home on Centennial Blvd. with his parents, Beverly and Tim, and three year old big brother, Rory Cornelius. His brother liked to kiss his big head, wondered about the necessity for diapers and didn’t feel compelled to compete with someone who slept a lot and didn’t mess with his toys. In December of that year, the Murphys moved to Fort Wayne, IN to be closer to Bev’s family there.

For a period of time, the family attended Simpson United Methodist Church where Adam was baptized. Both boys attended St. John Lutheran Evangelical Church’s school from preschool through the eighth grade. Adam was confirmed, played basketball and soccer, and forged many lasting friendships there.

He liked to spend his summers sleeping in, playing Wildcat baseball, swimming with neighborhood friends and riding bikes till it got too dark out. The Murphy family vacations happened every couple of years with trips back to Oregon to spend a week at a huge beach house on the ocean with his loving Murphy grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles. Those trips also included visiting his loving extended Johnson family in their Lorane, Portland and Gladstone, Oregon homes.

In later years, it would often include a family stop at Kells Irish Restaurant & Pub. At 15, Adam entered the workforce. He bussed tables at Pizza Hut and then was a greeter at Applebees. After graduation from Snider High School at age 18, he landed a sweet job at Ashley Furniture where he had to work every weekend and became an extremely successful salesman for the company. Soon, he became financially able and was eagerly wanting to move out on his own. He bought his first home with a friend. Ever the consummate people person with the desire to try new endeavors, Adam continued his career at the best place ever. The mall! His new gig was selling cell phones at a Sprint kiosk. He was wooed over to Verizon, a year later. In 2010, he worked at Ace Medical where he received the wonderful opportunity to get training and certification as a pedorthist. He began traveling to fit and sell special shoes to diabetic patients.

In January of 2014, Adam became one of the co-creators of Pedal City in Fort Wayne. The name changed to the still popular Pedal City Beer Garden in May of 2015 when the two pedal bikes found a permanent home on Main Street and widely expanded their offerings. Adam never ceased to amaze his family and friends with his understated creativity, wanderlust and loyalty. These traits were clearly made evident when he was a DJ at local festivals, co-created a radio show-turned-podcast called StreetWax, and was a part of many business ventures and invention ideas he helped brainstorm, like the Automatic Boat Auger.

Adam began traveling solo taking courageous and adventurous trips each year from 2014-2017, for six to eight weeks at a time, He explored Thailand, Europe and South America. He enjoyed sharing his exploits with his friends and family.

Adam was a patient in the Parkview Hospital network for three months, except for a brief discharge to his childhood home for six days. He spent his last 11 days in hospice care and took his last breaths on December 28, 2023 at 5:14 pm, dying from liver and kidney failure. All of his family, the love of his life and her daughter, and his many friends will miss him and bless him for all that he was to us and all that he did for us. We will now picture him playing poker with his some very important family members…happy and experiencing the best peace imaginable.

Adam is survived by his mother, Beverly Murphy of Fort Wayne, IN; sister, Kelly (Christopher) Schofield of Defuniak Springs, FL; girlfriend, Aimee Wilson and her daughter, Alyssa Perez of Fort Wayne, IN; nieces, Arianna and Trinity Schofield and nephew, Dylan Schofield of Defuniak Springs, FL; nephew, Lance Jones of South Carolina; aunts, Pat Stoffer Muncie (David) of Fort Wayne, IN; Linda Johnson of Lorane, OR; Elizabeth Blunt of Woodland, WA; uncles Tom Murphy (Courtenay) of Gunnison, CO; David Murphy of Fresno, CA; Tony Murphy of Portland, OR; cousins galore including: Bridgett, Tina, Mark, Stephanie, Eric,Trevor, Sam, Adam, Rachael, Ryan, Tristian, Macayla, Scott, Emily, Sarabeth, Jake, Brian, Jeri, Ashley, John, Brook, Jordynn, Kelly, Cipriana and Finnegan and their extended families and special cousin and friend, Barbara Murchland.

Preceding Adam in death are his father, Timothy Murphy; brother, Rory Murphy; grandparents, Thomas and Jean Murphy, Mary and Walter Johnson; uncle, Ray Stoffer; cousins, Tim Stoffer, Eric Johnson; and his dog, Calliope.

The family wishes to acknowledge and thank the amazing staff at Parkview Hospital Randallia, Parkview Regional Medical Center and Parkview Home Health and Hospice for their professional and compassionate care for Adam and his family.

A memorial gathering will take place on Friday, January 12, 2024, at St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church, 729 West Washington Blvd., Fort Wayne, IN 46802, from 1:00 - 7:00 pm. A memorial service will take place on Saturday, January 13, 2024 at 1:00 pm, with a memorial gathering one hour prior to the service. Light snacks will be provided to follow in the gym at the church. A celebration of life event will take place on Adam’s birthday, March 23, 2024. More information to follow.

Memorials may be made to St. John Lutheran Church or to Parkview Home Health and Hospice.