Tommy Hugh Murphy

Tommy Hugh Murphy, 86, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, on  Sunday morning March 8, 2020. He resided at Inlet Coastal Resort Memory Care Center in Murrells Inlet, S.C. where he lost his battle with a very progressive Dementia with Alzheimer's.

He was born on December 6, 1933, in West Crossett, Arkansas. He grew up with friends and family on Hancock Road and went to elementary school at Waller's Chapel. As a young teen, he worked at Burrs Store in the shoe department. In 1950, he graduated early at the age of 16. He and his classmates were the first to finish at Crossett High School in the new building which later changed over to become Norman Junior High. Then he met Francis Maxine Waldon of Hamburg and they married in December 1952 and settled in Crossett. In 1953 he joined the staff of Georgia Pacific in the planning department, later moving into maintenance. Continuing to live in Crossett, they raised four children, worshipped at Mt. Olive Baptist Church and learned to love many friends in Crossett over the years. He worked at the Crossett GP plant for 25 years and also served his community as a North Crossett volunteer fireman. In 1978 he and Maxine moved to Palatka, Florida where he continued to work for GP as a shift foreman until retiring in 1995 after a long 42-year career. Upon retiring with his family to the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, he enjoyed traveling, tinkering around in his workshop, family outings, gardening and time with his great-grandchildren.

He is survived by his wife Maxine, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, siblings, George Tipton Murphy and wife Jo of Fredericksburg, Texas, Gracia Lynn Wood and husband Bruce of West Crossett, and James ( Jimmy) Owen Naff and wife Dot of Bastrop, Louisiana; four children, Thomas Richard (Rick) Murphy and wife Ellen of Westfork, Arkansas, Paula Murphy Hayden of Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, Sarah Janine Murphy of Newport, Arkansas, and Todd Waldon Murphy and wife Vera of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; four grandchildren Ashley Hayden Capps and husband Chris of Surfside Beach, South Carolina, Meghan Murphy of Las Cruces, New Mexico, James Hayden and wife Lori of Mills River, North Carolina, and Matthew Murphy of Phoenix, Arizona. He was also a great-grandfather of five and has many cousins, nieces, and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents Hugh Cornelius Murphy and Ella Maud Naff Murphy of West Crossett.

The family would like to invite friends and relatives to a public visitation from1:00 to 2:00 pm with a funeral service immediately following at Medders Funeral Home Chapel, at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 11, 2020, with Reverend Lloyd Gibbs officiating. Interment will follow the service in Crossroads Cemetery if weather permits.

The family would also like to thank Burroughs Funeral Home in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina and Medders Funeral Home in Crossett for their kind and compassionate care of our loved one.    

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