Michael Murphy

Michael Kevin Murphy, favorite father, son, uncle and brother passed away at 51 years of age on June 28, 2016 in Longmont Colorado. Michael lived with brain cancer for three years. He researched and experimented with many alternative cancer treatments in the United States and abroad. Mike slowly faded away from his family and friends in his last few months. Michael was born on April 24, 1965 in Madison, Wisconsin, the third child and only son to Bonnie Murphy Kern of Longmont and John J. Murphy of Arizona and Minnesota.

Michael grew up in Longmont, Colorado, graduating from Longmont High School in 1983 and attending Colorado State University in Fort Collins. An athlete in basketball and track, Michael loved golf and arranged golf tournaments for his friends and the community. Longmont was a small, close-knit town in the 70’s and 80’s, and Michael grew up and lived his life with the many childhood friends he had grown up with in Longmont.

Michael was a proud UPS delivery driver and delivered in Longmont, Estes Park, and especially in Niwot, Colorado. Michael was Niwot’s Brown Santa for the last ten years. If you lived in Niwot, you knew Michael, the handsome UPS guy. Mike knew not only all the people in Niwot, but he also knew all the Niwot doggies by name, delivering Milk Bones every day by special UPS delivery.

The loves of Michael’s life were his two daughters, Jillian and Angelica Murphy. Mike practiced being the “cool” uncle to his nieces and nephews for years, anxiously waiting to become a parent himself. Michael’s role as father to his two girls was the joy of his life. He couldn’t spend enough time with them. Brain cancer did not frighten or intimidate Michael. What was agony for him was having his time as a father to his two daughters cut short.

Michael leaves behind many beautiful friends and loving family members including his parents and his two daughters, Jillian Murphy and Angelica Murphy; siblings Maureen Murphy Houser and her husband, Scott, of Fort Collins and Suzanne Sterkel and her husband, Randy, of Johnstown; nieces and nephews Nick Sterkel and his wife, Mandy, of California, Kara Colburn and her husband, Curt, (and baby boy on the way) of Texas, Brett Sterkel of Boulder, and Katie and Maggie Houser of Fort Collins.

A celebration of Michael’s life is scheduled for Saturday, July 9, 2016 at 1 p.m. at Howe Mortuary, 439 Coffman Street in Longmont. Memorial contributions may be made in Michael’s name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at www.stjude.org.