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MATTHEW PATRICK MURPHY II, the son of
Matthew Patrick and Grace Claire Spurlock
Murphy, was born in Houston, TX, on 17
Mar 1932. Sadly, his father passed away on
Easter Sunday 1932, and his mother passed
away on Easter Sunday 1945. Judson and
Amoretta Brance and their daughter Susan
became Matthew’s second family. In 1949,
“Pat,” as his classmates and friends knew him,
graduated from Houston’s San Jacinto High
School. He then attended Marion Military
Institute in Alabama for one year before entering
West Point.
For one year, Pat and I were roommates
in Company M-2, and I remember him as a
very devout individual. He enjoyed studying
the Bible, and after extensive study of many
religions, he converted to the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints while a cadet.
Following graduation and his commissioning
in the Air Force, Pat married his childhood
sweetheart, Dorothy Ann Hall. On 2 Jul
1954, their marriage was sealed for eternity in
the Salt Lake City Temple of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Their first
of many moves was to Hondo, TX, for primary
flight training, and then to Greenville
AFB, MS, for basic flight training. Their first
child, Kevin Michael, was born in Mississippi.
Advanced flight training entailed another
move for the family, to Moody AFB, GA.
His next assignment was to the 438th Fighter
Interceptor Squadron, based at Kinross AFB,
MI, where the second addition to their family,
Brian Daniel, was born. Following the assignment
at Kinross AFB, Pat was stationed briefly
at Truax AFB, WI, before beginning work on
an advanced degree in aeronautical engineering
at Texas A&M. The third addition to the
family, Grace Claire, was born during the two
years they were in Texas.
Upon completion of graduate school, Pat
and his family moved to the Flight Test Center
at Edwards AFB, CA, where he was assigned
initially to the Stability and Control Section,
Aero Engineering, and subsequently as aide
to the commanding general. During the three
years at Edwards AFB, two more children,
Timothy Ian and Richard Douglas, were added
to the Murphy family.
In 1963, Pat resigned from the Air Force
to attend the University of Texas Medical
School at Galveston. In 1967, he graduated
and returned to active duty. The family then
moved to San Antonio, TX, where he completed
his internship at Lackland AFB and the
Aerospace Medicine Primary Course (flight
surgeon school) at Brooks AFB. Two more
children, Allan Dennis and Kathleen Mary,
joined the Murphy family during the four-year
period of 1963-67.
During 1968 73, Pat served at three different
Air Force bases. First, he was the chief
flight surgeon at Williams AFB, AZ. He then
moved to Travis AFB, CA, where he completed
his residency work in radiology. Their third
daughter, Mary Ann, was born while the family
was stationed at Travis AFB. From Travis,
they moved to Mather AFB, CA, where Pat
completed his residency and board certification
in radiation oncology at Sutter General
Hospital. His last assignment was to Wright-
Patterson AFB, Ohio, as the chief of radiology
in the Air Force Medical Center. The assignment
at Wright-Patterson also saw the final
addition to Pat and Dorie’s family, with the
birth of their son, Patrick Edward.
In 1977, Pat retired after 20 years of active
duty with the rank of lieutenant colonel.
He joined the medical faculty of the Ohio
State University in Columbus, OH, where
for five years he was an associate professor of
radiation oncology. In 1982, he began work
as chief of radiation oncology at Miami Valley
Hospital in Dayton, OH. In 1984, he moved
to Memphis, TN, where he was chief of radiation
oncology at Saint Francis and Saint
Joseph’s Hospitals. He retired from medicine
in 1992.
Pat is remembered as one who loved medicine,
who conducted exhaustive research into
every case, and who even gave his home phone
number to patients. His dedication to his practice,
however, took its toll. After several years
of working long hours, quite frequently seven
days a week, Pat simply wore out. Realizing
that he was going to have a heart attack, he
informed his associates that he was quitting.
Although he expected to return to his medical practice during the course of the next ten years, he realized he could not recapture his ability to think clearly and work efficiently.
There were four major loves in Pat’s life: Dorie, his family, flying, and medicine, in that order. He often said Dorie was the most marvelous person he had ever met, and the nine children in their family provided them with 18 grandchildren and a great-grandson. To his children, one of his often-used phrases was “I will support you in anything, any way I can, as long as it is legal, moral and ethical.”
In November 2003, Pat knew he had a serious problem that was diagnosed as terminal cancer.
He then told his family that he had tried to show them how to live well and he now hoped to show them how to die well. Seven months later, on a quiet Sunday afternoon, four days after his and Dorie’s 50th wedding anniversary, Pat took his place in the Long Gray Line. Pat, you upheld the ideals of Duty, Honor, and Country throughout your life. Those of us who knew you say, “Well done.”
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