Michael Murphy, 79, of Denver, Colo., passed away on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020.
Mike was a devoted father, grandfather, and good friend to many.
He was born on Oct. 15, 1941 in Smith Center, Kan., to Fred and Bernice (Lathrop) Murphy. He grew up in Smith Center and later Winner, South Dakota. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln in 1962. He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
After college he served in the United States Army. Mike practiced accounting as a CPA for 40 years in Denver, retiring from Benson Mineral Group where he worked for 25+ years.
On October 3, 1964, he married Valerie Jean Sturges. They raised two children, Michael and Christine.
Mike loved to be outside. He fished and hunted while growing up in Kansas and South Dakota as well as in the mountains of Colorado. In his retirement he spent a great deal of his time hiking near his home in Evergreen and later walking daily around his neighborhood in Denver. He was also an enthusiastic sports fan and enjoyed attending Denver Broncos games, (in any kind of weather), with his family and friends for many years. He also enjoyed watching Nebraska football on TV.
Mike was also an avid reader and had a great passion for knowledge. Those who knew Mike would say that although he was a man of few words, he was a man of great integrity and kindness.
Mike was preceded in death by his wife of 45 years, Valerie. He is survived by his son Michael and his wife Mika (Brooklyn, NY), his daughter Christine and her husband Joel and their two children Miles and Ava (Denver, CO), his brother James and wife Rhonda (Spokane, WA), his sister Jane and her husband Andrew (Denver, CO), as well as several nieces and nephews.
Memorial contributions can be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation.
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