John Burke Murphy

John Burke Murphy was born February 16, 1920 in Cedar Falls, Iowa to John J. and Zella (Tonner) Murphy. The Murphy family moved from Iowa to California in 1924 and settled in Santa Monica in 1928, where they became life-long members of St. Monica Catholic Church.

After graduating St. Monica Elementary School in 1934, Loyola High in 1938 and attending Loyola University, John joined the war effort in 1943. He served in the US Army Air Force (100th Bomb Group) as a B-17G Navigator flying combat missions throughout the European Theater of Operations.

Following WWII, John graduated from the University of Southern California in 1953 with a Bachelor's Degree in Cinema, worked abroad in Peru, and then joined Lockheed Aircraft Company as a cameraman/writer/producer for classified films. In 1956, he married Patricia Ann Denesia. Their only child, Michael, was born in 1967.


John elected to return in 1970 and became "Mr Mom" and "Mr Fix-it" around the Murphy home. He performed these duties with love and joy, always there in the morning to send Michael off to school, always welcoming him home in the afternoon, from grade school through college....without fail.

Following Patricia's passing in 1994, and the gradual onset of Alzheimer's, John joined his son and daughter-in-law in Biloxi, MS in 2008. He then accompanied them on their move in Occoquan, VA and remained with them until his passing June 16th, 2012.

John is survived by his son, Lt. Col. Michael Murphy and daughter-in-law, Lt. Col. Tamara Murphy, both serving on Active Duty in the United States Air Force.