John Joseph Murphy

John Joseph Murphy, age 89 of Richmond, died Friday, January 15, 2016 in the peacefulness of his son's residence in St. Helen, Michigan. He was born February 24, 1926 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, son of the late Patrick and the late Johanna (nee: O'Neil) Murphy.If you were to ask most anyone what was John's favorite thing to do, the majority of responses would be how much he enjoyed working on the job at Ford Motor Company. A 30 year employee of the automotive giant, John possessed an affinity for working on cars and found great pleasure in giving the best of his talents to the "Blue Oval" Bunch. Whether on the job or in his garage at home, tinkering on cars was the world where John gained his greatest satisfaction and his deepest personal reward. That 30 year mark was kind of a bittersweet crossroad for John, but he finally accepted his well-deserved retirement after many years of loyal and dedicated service to Ford.Though there weren't a plethora of pastimes that garnered his attention, John did enjoy a couple of escapes that fed his appetite for fun and entertainment. One was his love of hunting,…mostly deer, of course. Like many Michiganders, grabbin' a gun and hittin' the woods with a buddy or two made for some wonderful memories over the years,…and yes, some good eatin', too!The other pastime John was notorious for was gettin' in the car and scopin' out some of the local flea markets in search of those fine deals just waiting down the next street. Flea markets offered John a treasure trove of possibilities, and always the hope that he would find that "golden nugget" amidst the chaff. It was certainly something that kept him busy, if nothing else.A loving husband, father and grandfather, John leaves behind a storehouse of memories for those to cherish who were blessed to know him and love him. He will be missed immensely and loved eternally.John was the beloved husband of the late Shirley. Dearest father of Louis (Sharon) Rahhal, Shirley Ann (the late Harry) Solomon, David Murphy, Kathleen (Arthur) Westrick, Patrick (Linda) Murphy, John (Sandy) Murphy, and Michael Murphy. He is also the loving grandfather of 18 and great-grandfather of 13. John was preceded in death by siblings, Margaret Richerts, June Chenchick, Edna Allen, David Murphy, Jiggs Murphy, and Neal Murphy. Visitation for John will be held Wednesday, January 20th from 4-8pm at the D.S. Temrowski & Sons Funeral Home, 30009 Hoover Road at Common (12 ½ Mile Rd) in Warren. Please share memories of John at his memory book above.