James S. Murphy

James S. Murphy passed away peacefully on January 1, 2012 at age 86. James was born in Morgantown, West Virginia, on January 14, 1926. His parents, Dorothy and Michael Murphy, raised a family of eight children. He attended high school in Morgantown, and studied engineering at West Virginia University. At age 18, he enlisted in the U. S. Navy and was sent to officer candidate school at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He graduated with a BS degree in 1946, and retired from the Navy as a lieutenant. James pursued graduate studies at the University of Michigan, obtaining Masters and PhD degrees in Aeronautical Engineering. At Michigan, he met Janet McLaughlin, who was the medical illustrator at the U of M Medical School, and they were married in 1951. In 1953, he was hired by Douglas Aircraft Company to design Navy aircraft, and they moved to Los Angeles. They lived in Westwood Village before moving to Brentwood in 1954. At Douglas, James gravitated to missile and space research, and rose to become the chief of the Aerophysics Laboratory in El Segundo in 1961. He was a lecturer at the UCLA Engineering Extension from 1956-1963. After McDonnell Aircraft bought Douglas in the mid 60s, he moved into marketing and program management at the Huntington Beach facility. After a 38-year career, he retired from McDonnell Douglas in 1991. In retirement, James became a registered representative and worked as an investment advisor. He enjoyed taking computer courses, traveling and playing golf in his leisure time. After Janet died in 2004, he joined the WLA-Brentwood Rotary Club, and led the project to install gateway monuments at the entrances to Brentwood along San Vicente Boulevard. He stayed close to his siblings throughout his life and greatly enjoyed attending yearly family reunions in Capon Springs, West Virginia. He is survived by his children, Jenanne and Meade, sisters Ann, Jane, Ruth and Mary, and brothers John and Joel. The family is deeply grateful to James’ dedicated caregivers, Leonor Morales and Miguel Guerrero, who provided excellent care in the final years of his life. Private services will be held at Pierce Brothers Westwood Village.