Kay Murphy went to be with her Lord and Savior on November 12, 2024.
She was born on July 9, 1949, to Dean and Christine Carpenter. She grew up in Chicota, Texas, where she played basketball in high school. She moved to Tyler, where she attended Texas Eastern School of Nursing.In 1971, while working at East Texas Medical Center as a charge nurse, she met the love of her life, Joseph Dennis Murphy, who was working as an ambulance driver. They married in 1972.After Denny became an FBI agent, the family lived in Denton, California and Virginia, before returning to Tyler to raise their three children.
Kay was an avid golfer, playing courses around the country, and winning many tournaments at Hideaway Lake Club. But nothing made her happier than watching her daughter play soccer and attending her grandchildren’s drill team performances football, soccer and softball games, and school events. She loved traveling, playing card games with her grandkids, mowing the yard, gambling, spending family time at the farm in Chicota, and yearly trips to Galveston. Her greatest joy was being called Ganny by her grandchildren and she spoiled them every chance she got. Kay lived a very full life and remained extremely active until her sudden illness.
Kay was preceded in death by her parents, Dean and Christine Carpenter, her brother Bill Dean Carpenter and her grandparents. She leaves behind her husband of 52 years, Denny Murphy, her children Erin (Tom) Burkart, Joe (Casey) Murphy, and Juli (Stephen) Collins; and her grandchildren, Samantha and Charlie Burkart, Ryan and Alex Collins, and Dean and Cora Murphy.
A celebration of life will be held from 2-4 p.m. on Saturday, November 16, 2024, in the clubhouse at Hideaway Country Club. Under the direction of Fry-Gibbs Funeral Home, funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, November 17, at the Chicota United Methodist Church in Chicota, Texas.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Kay’s honor can be made to Meals on Wheels East Texas or Hospice of East Texas.
Online condolences may be sent to the Murphy family by visiting www.fry-gibbs.com
