Mike Charles Murphy MD

Mike Charles Murphy, MD, passed away unexpectedly at the age of 60 at his home in Garland, Texas, on October 5, 2017. This was a devastating loss to his family, many friends and patients in Oklahoma, Texas and Alaska. Mike was a talented and caring physician who placed his patients' welfare above all. A generous, loving and loyal son, brother and father, his passing has left a huge void in the lives of so many.

Mike was born on February 7, 1957, in Edmond to Jim and Ivon Murphy. He grew up on the family dairy farm just west of Edmond. Mike attended Deer Creek School for twelve years graduating in 1975. He excelled in academics, music and basketball. He attended the University of Oklahoma and went on to graduate from the OU College of Medicine in 1984. Mike loved children. He completed a residency in pediatrics and worked as a pediatrician in Oklahoma City. He later completed a fellowship in anesthesia and combined the two specialties to practice pediatric anesthesia at Children's Medical Center Dallas. More recently he practiced in Houston, serving as acting Medical Director of the Houston Physicians' Surgery Center.

Mike loved to travel with family and friends. He spent time in Australia, New Zealand, England, Mexico and almost all fifty states. He loved the mountains. He especially enjoyed fishing in Colorado and Alaska. He was an avid reader, loved Star Trek, and always enjoyed a good political discussion. His talents and accomplishments cannot be adequately listed here. However, a few stand out, including his acceptance to OU College of Medicine, singing in an All-State award-winning men's quartet and mixed ensemble, and playing starting forward on the state champion Deer Creek High School basketball team in 1974 and state runner-up team in 1975.

Mike accepted Jesus as his Savior at the age of six. He attended Hopewell Baptist Church and enjoyed the youth groups especially the volleyball games. He had a quiet faith in Jesus. Mike was kind, compassionate, generous and funny. He loved to teach, especially children, and could turn any situation into a real learning experience. He spent many hours traveling from Texas to visit his mom and family in Oklahoma. He was very thoughtful and was the happiest when caring for others, whether family, friends or patients.

Mike was preceded in death by his father, Jim Murphy, and is survived by his mother, Ivon Murphy, of Edmond, brother Terry and wife Cathy of Oklahoma City, brother Jay and wife Florene of Texhoma, and sister Joy and husband Phillip Lindsey of Edmond. Mike is also survived by his two step-daughters whom he dearly loved, Myiul and Mina Murphy of Walters and by his nieces and nephews, Tara, Anna, Benjamin, Rebekah, Daniel, Ryan, Brooklyn, Jacob, Sarah, and Lucas, along with seven great nieces and nephews.

Services to celebrate Mike's life will be held on Saturday, October 14, 2017, at 2:00 p.m. at Heritage Baptist Church, 14317 North Council in Oklahoma City. Mike was a strong supporter of The Children's Center Rehabilitation Hospital in Bethany. If you wish, donations may be made in his name at www.miracleshappenhere.org. Arrangements under the direction of Chapel Hill Funeral Home, Oklahoma City, OK.

Mike was a tree-climber. Mom knew where he was when she could not find him – in the backyard up in the elm tree. When he got mad he liked to jump on his tricycle and ride. Mike preferred driving a tractor to milking the cows - driving the hay truck instead of stacking the hay on the back where the hard work was being done. Mike drove school bus routes for both the Norman and Deer Creek Schools. He officiated at least 200 basketball games. Mike had a difficult time watching a basketball game without critiquing the refs. Mike started out fishing his parents’ pond – perch & crappie but mostly catfish and turtles. He and his brothers shot, or shot at a lot of turtles and snakes. Never put much of a dent in their population. In the winter, Mike did a lot of hunting quail by chasing them up and down the creeks. Mike enjoyed claiming he had shot a quail just because he found it or got to it first. Never put much of a dent in the quail population, either. Needless to say, Mike was a long-standing member of the NRA even if he was not much of a shot. Mike loved to cook and bake specializing in cookies and brownies. He was on the debate team at Deer Creek and competed in extemporaneous speech tournaments. Mike played a trombone in high school 4 years. Choir 4 years. State and National Honor Society. Who’s Who. Baseball. Basketball. Stage Band. Student Council Rep. Class Vice-President his junior year. As a senior, he was voted Band President and Most Talented. Mike and his older brother once called a high school baseball game his younger brother was playing in. Mike and one of his friends once double-dated the same girl. She sat in the front seat between them in his cream and white Chevy pickup. Favorite authors and speakers: Paul Harvey, Rush Limbaugh, and Argus Hamilton along with Tom Clancy, Jules Verne, and Ray Bradbury. His favorite action hero was Clint Eastwood. Rosencrantz, a Shakespeare character, was his CB handle. Who knows why? Mike played little league and high school baseball as a pitcher and third baseman. (Mike was the one who threw the baseball that broke the back porch window.) Mike liked to throw fits and throw things. He once got so mad at one of his brothers that he picked up a partial brick and chunked it at his brother as he was walking away – the one who still can find the scar on the back of his head. Mike had a good, strong arm. Mike liked to look up into the night sky – to look at the stars and count the meteorites. Mike was bullheaded in a good way. He first learned to butt heads with his brother which is also what he could do with anyone when he believed himself to be right. Mike was bullheaded and kind and ornery… which made him have an interesting personality. There is a story in a good book (Exodus 13:17-18) that talks about the Lord leading His people out of Egypt into the Promised Land – a good story of how He protected them from the bad people (and snakes and scorpions) and provided for them in a place not known for having too much. The land they were headed to was a good land… but so was the wilderness… because of the Presence of the Lord. The Lord could show His people how good He was by walking with them. The Lord did not lead them on the most commonly traveled road, but turned His people down the back roads that led to the mountains. Mike was, and continues to be, on the same road trip.