Robert Lee Murphree, Jr.

Robert Lee Murphree Jr., age 74, of Tuscaloosa and Moundville, died Dec. 13, 2011, at Hospice of West Alabama. Services will be 11 a.m. Friday at Heritage Chapel Funeral Home with Chaplain Pat Taylor officiating. Burial will follow in Tuscaloosa Memorial Park with Heritage Chapel Funeral Home & Cremations, a Dignity Memorial Provider, directing. Visitation will be tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home. The family invites friends to a celebration of Mr. Murphree's life in the Rose Room during the visitation.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, June Lassiter Murphree, to whom he was married for 51 years; and his parents, Robert Lee Murphree, Sr. and Evelyn Watkins Murphree and W.C. and Helen Lassiter.

Survivors include his wife, Marilyn Murphree, whom he married in March 2011; his daughters, Julee Murphree Lovelace of Jackson, Tenn. and Sharon Murphree Mozingo of Tuscaloosa; his son, Robert Lee Murphree, III of Tuscaloosa; his stepdaughter, Dianne Murphy; his stepson, David Shaw of Tuscaloosa; his sister, Patricia Murphree Landers of Decatur; his brother, Jimmy Murphree of Dothan; and his grandchildren, Lauren and Chris Lovelace of Jackson, Tenn., Katie Bennett of Coker, Douglas Killough and Garrett Mozingo of Tuscaloosa, and Tag Shaw, Lizzie Shaw, and Erin Murphy, all of Tuscaloosa.

Mr. Murphree was born in Birmingham on July 12, 1937. He was educated in Tuscaloosa City Schools and graduated in 1955 from Palo Alto, Calif. High School. He was active in the National Guard, attended the University of Alabama and Livingston University (now the University of West Alabama), and retired from the U.S. Postal Service after 34 years. He thoroughly enjoyed doing genealogical research. He also had a keen wit and a sharp tongue. He loved his children, grandchildren, and newly acquired children and grandchildren.

Pallbearers will be Gene Carnes, Chris Lovelace, Douglas Killough, Garrett Mozingo, Mike Mozingo, and Tag Shaw.

Honorary pallbearers are Charles Bowling, Ken Lagrone, Dr. Ross Vaughn, Dr. Jeanne Lipscomb, Dr. Charles Gross, Dr. David Hinton, employees of Tuscaloosa Credit Union, U.S. Postal Service, DCH Respiratory Care, Mr. and Mrs. Buddy Butler, and Dr. and Mrs. Wayne Smith.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Hospice of West Alabama and DCH Cancer Center.