William Timothy Murphy

William Timothy Murphy, 83, passed away at his home in Sopchoppy on March 26. 2017 following a brief battle with cancer. His family and friends were with him in his last days and hours. Born in New Rochelle, New York, to Irish immigrants, Joseph and Elizabeth Irwin Murphy, Bill was employed by the New York Telephone Company, now Verizon, for 30 years. He began his career with the telephone company in the 1950s after serving in the US Marine Corps and then the US Marine Corps Reserves. He began as a lineman, earned a Bachelor’s degree at the State University of New York, and worked his way up the corporate ladder in White Plains and Manhattan. He often spoke of his Manhattan office view of the Statue of Liberty until the World Trade Center was completed and blocked his view of the harbor. Known for his computer acumen, he helped the company transition from its “Number Please” days with thousands of operators in large buildings to the digital world we hold in our hand today. After his retirement, he and his wife, Catherine Redmond Murphy, moved to Ft Pierce, Florida, where she succumbed to cancer in 1997. His parents Joseph and Elizabeth also preceded him in death in 1974 and 1997 respectively. He is survived by his second wife, Helen Norton Livingston of Sopchoppy, and his children Susan Sigmund of Cary, North Carolina; William Murphy and wife Kathy of Seymour, Connecticut; and Joseph Murphy and wife Jill of Cary, North Carolina; six grandchildren: Andrew Sigmund, Lindsay Sigmund, Colin Sigmund, Melissa Murphy, Owen Murphy, and Katie Murphy; four step-children: Tina Fleming and husband James, Jarrod Livingston and wife Penny, Bill Livingston and wife Ryan, and Jeff Livingston and wife, Hong; five step-grandchildren: Russell, Lilah, Gabriel, Zephin, Tyler, and Sarah; and his Marine Corps buddy and close friend of 65 years, Richard Crawford and his family. Bill never forgot his Irish roots in Ballyvaughn, Kilfanora, Galway, and County Claire, Ireland. He visited the family homesteads of Ballyshanny and Poplar House often where he brought family and friends to meet his many Murphy, Collins, and Irwin relatives who still reside there. Many remember his father, Joe, who served in the Irish Republican Army and fled to America after the 1918 revolution. His many cousins in Ireland also mourn his passing. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in his name be made to: Big Bend Hospice, 1723 Mahan Center Blvd, Tallahassee, FL 32308 (www.bigbendhospice.org); Florida State University College of Medicine Advising and Outreach, Fund F0070 or mail gift to FSU College of Medicine, 1115 W. Call St., Tallahassee, FL 32306-4300; The American Cancer Society, 2619 Centennial Blvd, Suite 101, Tallahassee, FL 32308. David Conn of Bevis Funeral Home, Harvey-Young Chapel in Crawfordville is assisting the family. (850-926-3333 or www.bevisfh.com.)

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William Timothy Murphy

May 4, 1933 - March 26, 2017