Tom Murphy
August 1, 1920 - November 11, 2007
Obituary
Tom MURPHY
August 1, 1920 – November 11, 2007
Tom was born in the old Virginia Mason Hospital, Seattle, WA. The third of three children Ethel ‘Pat’, Margaret, Tom. Son of Amy and Thomas Murphy, Sr. He was raised in Ballard, joining the Naval Reserves in 1937, and graduating from Ballard HS in 1940. He then enlisted for active duty 1941-1952 rising to the rank of Carpenter’s Mate First Class, serving in WWII and the Korean Conflict. This is where he earned his nickname ‘Spud’. It was in 1940 that he started his 42 year career for the Rainier Brewing Co. He married Irene Dodge on August 16, 1943, in a California Courthouse 9 days before being shipped out to war. On July 25, 1947, Tom’s pride-and-joy, his daughter Sherry was born. In 1950 he started the project of building and bricking his own home in Ballard just up the road from where his parents lived. Tom will be remembered for his great sense of humor and his genuine personality. He had so many things he loved, family being the highest on the list. He enjoyed carpentry, making stilts, go carts, clocks, tables, decks, and whatever else people came up with. He also enjoyed rock hounding/tumbling, bowling, playing cards, boating, fishing, camping, and hiking.
Tom was one heck of a fun guy…either the first time I met him or shortly thereafter he came over to the house one afternoon with Irene to welcome Jamie my wife and I to the neighborhood. We really didn’t know them at all, but they seemed harmless enough, so we invited them in and sat down to chat on the couch. Long story short, after a period of only fifteen minutes or so, Tom had Jamie and I fluctuating between rolling in laughter and picking our jaws up off the floor. He had a great sense of humor, even if it tended to be a little on the racy side at times.
Though I’m not quite sure how Irene kept up with him in younger years having seen only the ornery octogenarian the two of them embodied what it means to selflessly devote one’s self to another. During a recent visit, I was teasing Tom for being so skinny and asked if it’s because Irene was withholding his food. He chuckled, but was quick to explain just how well taken care of he was. He told me, both in and out of her presence, that no one in the world could take better care of him than her. He felt that Irene was getting the short end of the stick, knowing she devoted her time to care for him in his fragile state. Tom was deeply thankful for his bride and I know she is just as thankful for him.
I’m very grateful for having had known Tom and a better person as a result. Many of us did not get the chance to know him well, but to know his smile is to know who he was. I will miss him.
Tom Murphy was my mother’s baby brother. When I was a child, I always looked forward to seeing ”My Uncle Tommy” he was so very nice to me and always had a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes. His eyes always had ”that twinkle” in them that made everyone around him smile! I know my mom loved her brother very much and they would laugh alot when they got together. Uncle Tommy loved to tell jokes and was very good at it and sometimes he would be the one to laugh the hardest. I don’t remember a time in my life when I saw him or spoke with him on the phone, that he wouldn’t say,”Have you heard the joke about…or ”Did I tell you the story about”….He may have forgotten where his car keys were, but he NEVER forgot a good joke!
Now the man with a big heart and good joke’s can continue to bring smiles to everyones faces in heaven. When ever I think of my ”Uncle Tommy” I get a smile on my face. Thank you Uncle Tommy for that. You will be missed, but I know Mom will be glad to hear all your new jokes. With Love always, Kathy
SHERRIE, SO SORRY TO HEAR OF YOUR DADS PASSING.PLEASE CALL IF YOU NEED ANYTHING
LOV SHARON,AL
My best memories of my Uncle Tommy were during the summers, when I would spend a few weeks with my cousin Sherry. Uncle Tommy and Aunt Irene would take us to Lake Washington and we would watch the hydroplane races from Uncle Tommys boat, or we went to the ocean and we’d dig for clams. No matter what we did, we always had a great time. Uncle Tommy was always so much fun to be around. Never a dull moment. When our families would get together, the jokes would fly and our cheeks would hurt from laughing so much. It always amazed me how he could remember so many jokes and the Irish jokes that he told were always done with the Irish accent, just like he had just come from there. We will all miss you very much
We would like to send are love to the whole family and I know my husband Leonard well miss talking to Tom on the phone about the good old days working at the brewery and going to his house seeing him and spending time visiting with him. . We know you well miss him dearly, but he is at peace know and in a better place. Our Deepest Sympathy Leonard&Donna Norgren
My husband Jack and I enjoyed getting together with Tom and Irene. We especially enjoyed the trip to Moclips. My husband Jack wasn’t much of a people person, but truly enjoyed Tom and Irene’s company. Jack and Tom would go off and tell each other jokes and you could hear them howling in the corner.
When Tom was out to sea, Irene would write him every day. He got so many letters more than anybody else on the ship..Because they had such tight quarters, he couldn’t keep all the letters, so he bundled them up and chucked them out the port hole. Several days later all the letters showed up as mail again.
Tom was the best friend I could ever have. He was honest. I learned alot from him while he built my canopy for my truck. He was always patient. You knew where you stood with everything. Enjoyed hunting trips on the Peninsula, as well as hiking. While hunting we came across some albino deer. Boy were we shocked. We passed time telling jokes.
Here are some clean jokes you can tell:
What does an Indian call a Vegitarian?…a bad hunter.
We all know that moss grows most on the North side of the tree. So what side has more feathers on chicken?…
the outside
We are very sorry to hear that Uncle Tom passed away. He was a wonderful man and we enjoyed talking to him at the family gatherings. We know he is in a far better place and he will watch down on his loving family.
My fondest memories of my Uncle Tom are the trips we made up to Lake Goodwin. His DeSoto could only carry four people so I had to lay on the rear window shelf. P.S. That was way before Seat-Belts and Freeways!! Part of the way up Highway 99 was paved in real, red bricks which made for an interesting ride. Eventually he gave the DeSoto to me when I was old enough to drive. It was a very nice car for a young kid.
When I was even younger at Christmas time he always gave me the most real looking 6 shooters and holsters I had ever seen. Of course they were cap guns and I loved getting them every year. He was a very good Uncle to me.
At Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners with my trusty 6 shooters at my side, I would always sit next to him, and was always fasinated the way he would dish his plate up with mashed potatoes and hollow out the center of the mound and pour his gravy into it so I always did the same thing on my plate. The only trouble was that when I dug into my masterpiece, the gravy ran all over my plate. I still to this day do not know how he was so successful without it running all over his plate. Larry
I have known Tom for most of my life. I
have had the honor of spending time with
him the last few months.No matter how
sick he was, he always had a smile for
me. During those times, we talked aout fun times growing up. I was able to thank him for building me my own stilts,our go cart,for memories of family outings such as the Rainier
Luau and the farm. Most of all I was able to thank him for his Love for me.
Tom will always have a special place in my heart. I loved him and I love his
whole famiy too. Remember: I am here if
you ever need me.
One of my biggest memories of Tom/Grandpa was that he helped me finance/buy my second car in 1996. I don’t remember, but my dad wasn’t around to help me. I had got a coupon for a discount on any car at Nelson Chevrolet. So Tom and I brought my beat up ’77 datsun truck with barely any brakes left to the dealership and proceeded to look at several cars on the lot where a fairly new car caught my eye. It was a ’95 Mitsubishi Mirage. I checked it out and decided it was the one I wanted to get. While we were sitting in the managers office the salesman took my truck out for a test drive. When the salesman came back he said ”Son, You’re driving a coffin!”. since the brakes were really bad and the truck could hardly stop. Tom and I both thought it was kind of funny but Tom haggled for me to get the price down on the car. When the manager didn’t go low enough, Tom got up and said to me let’s get out of here! Tom was upset. But, the manager ended up lowering the price.
When I finally got my new car, Tom was pretty excited that he helped me out. He kept telling me to keep it clean because the paint would fade if I didn’t wash it. I had the car almost ten years
and it never faded when I hadn’t washed for awhile. He also told me if I had to many heavy things on my keys the ignition would wear down and stop working. That never happened either. Either way, I thought it was funny advice. I always liked hearing his Navy stories/jokes and when he said Tuscidamiga. It meant see you later in some strange language I don’t know. Maybe someone could tell me?
Irene and Sherry
I have been remembering Tom. I have a variety of memories. I remember all of his work around your home. I fondly see him from our kitchen window out working in the yard on any number of projects. I remember how proud he was of you Sherry at your installation as honored queen. I remember the night my mom’s curtains caught on fire and I took the kids down to your house. I remember his playing the father with the shotgun at my parents surprise 25th anniversary party. To me he has always been there. I will miss him. My thoughts and prayers are with all the members of your family. God Bless.
I was very sad to see that Tom had passed away. I remember him fondly from working with him at Rainier. I always remember him with a twinkle in his eye and always made time to stop and chat with you. He indeed was a great guy! We would always talk about Ballard as I was born and raised there too……
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