Wesley Truitt Murphey

Wesley Truitt Murphey (93) of Woodway, Texas and formerly of Frankston, Texas passed away to be with our Lord, Jesus Christ, Saturday, March 5, 2016. Visitation will be Saturday, April 2, 2016 between 9:30AM to 11:00AM at Connally-Compton Funeral Home, 4400 W Waco Dr., Waco, Texas. Graveside services and burial will be on Saturday, April 2, 2016 at 1:30pm at Liberty Hill Cemetery (FM 1305) near Frankston, Texas.

Wesley Truitt was born October 5, 1922, as the fourth child to John Wesley and Leca Pearl (Westbrook) Murphey at Liberty Hill community, approximately three miles northwest of Frankston. He is survived by his wife of 73 years, Lillian Gillespie Murphey, his daughter, Barbara Murphey and his sister, Marie Stringfield and many nieces and nephews.

Those who have passed on before were their daughter, Rita Starpattern, his parents, John Wesley and Pearl Murphey, and his three brothers, Dalton, Ray and Dudley Murphey.

The Murphey family lived and farmed several years in communities around Frankston but eventually returned to Liberty HIll. At Frankston High School Wesley Truitt became interested in athletics, but found football the most interesting, lettering his last two years. He declined a football scholarship at Trinity University to pursue his high school sweetheart, Lillian They were married November 3, 1942 in Dallas. They spent a wonderful seventy-three years together, only separated by WWII and his annual obligations to the Navy Reserve.

Wesley Truitt entered the U.S. Naval Reserve on November 23, 1942. He entered active duty, based in New York, as a Radioman Third Class and spent 27 months on board the Wyffels (DE-6). He made 6 round trips across the Atlantic to Europe and Africa. Wesley Truitt, (WT or Water Tight as they called him on board) was discharged September 1945 as Radioman First Class in Miami, Florida where he and Lillian boarded a train to return to Texas.

Soon after Wesley’s return to Texas in 1945, he accepted employment at the Veterans Hospital in Waco. With many changes in duty stations from Dallas, Houston, Nashville, Lincoln, Nebraska, Phoenix Arizona and in1972 Waco, he retired in 1978 with 36 ½ years of civil service as Senior Chief Medical Officer from the same Veterans Hospital where he began his civil service career as a GS-2 Clerk.

In March 1947 Wesley Truitt re-entered the US Naval Reserve and participated in Naval Training two days each month and two weeks training duty annually. Not long after his re-enlistment in the Navy he was appointed to “Sailor of the Year”. He worked Naval Training concurrently with his full time job with the Veterans Administration. He was credited for promotion, so he retired from the Navy with 31 years of service as Senior Chief Personnel Man.

Wesley finally made it back to higher education in attending Southern Methodist University from 1949 to 1953 and returning to school after retirement and graduating from Tarleton State University.

Wesley Truitt and Lillian loved to travel. As an avid rock hound he hunted rocks in parts of all 50 states while traveling in their travel trailer, sometimes with the Good Sams RV Club. They also visited 54 foreign countries on all 5 major continents and several islands in the Atlantic and Pacific and Gulf of Mexico.

Wesley spent many years volunteering his time. As a member of Crestview Church of Christ in Waco, he was very proud of his 25 years of volunteered time to the World Bible School focusing in Nigeria, Central Africa, studying with one hundred and ten thousand students. During the 25 years he helped start 229 new congregations. He also volunteered for the county and city as the Precinct Election Judge for 16 years and as Special Representative for AARP to meet with various government officials.

Wesley was the former President of the Northwest Waco Rotary Club with 45 years of perfect attendance, the former President of the Waco Gem and Mineral Club, a member of the American Legion Post 121, VFW Post 2148, NARFE (National Association of Retired Federal Employees), FRA (Fleet Reserve Association), former board member of the Woodway Senior Citizens Club, and former board member of the Liberty Hill Cemetery Association in Frankston.

In lieu of flowers please donate to your favorite charity.

Arrangements under the direction of Connally-Compton Funeral Directors, Waco, TX.