Charlie was born on August 15, 1936 in New York to Ruth (McGory) and Charles Galvin Murphy, Sr. Char Char had 3 siblings, older sister Patricia Howie, younger sister Sheila Thorpe, and younger brother Barry Murphy who all preceded him in death. He was also predeceased by his first wife, Mariko Murphy, eldest daughter Mariko Murphy Pope, and second wife Ching Yeh Murphy. He is survived through his daughter Michelle Murphy Niedziela (husband Adrian Niedziela) and grand-daughters Nikola Ching Niedziela and Anika Mariko Niedziela, and grandson Ryan Pope.
Charlie moved quite a bit growing up, living in New York, Michigan, New Jersey, and Ohio. Joining the army as a young teenager, fought in the Korean War and graduated Military Police training in 1954. Later he joined the Air Force, fought in Vietnam, and retired as Captain. In the military he lived in Japan (meeting his first wife) and then Taiwan (meeting his second wife) before settling in the Florida Panhandle, building FanFare (a chain of ceiling fan stores across the Southeast US) and developing properties across Northwest Florida.
Charlie lived many lives and up until his death would ponder what he wanted to be when he grew up. A school teacher, a trapper, a paper boy, a soldier and an officer, a hypnotist, an entrepreneur, an author and inventor, a farmer, a husband, a father, a grandfather, a friend, he’d done it all and seen it all. Never surrendered, always moved forward except when advancing to the rear or when he couldn’t go forward, going right, or maybe just running away to Venezuela, but keeping it simple and basic.
If you knew Charlie, you knew how special and unique he was. He was smart, he was kind, he was strong. He will be lovingly remembered by friends and family.
The family wishes to send a special thank you to the staff at Regency Hospice and especially the loving care provided to him from Michelle Roberts and Paul Fannin. We have been truly blessed to know some truly amazing people in his life and we are thankful to all of you.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
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