Robert E. Col. Murphy

Col. Robert E. Murphy, USAF Ret., a native of Michigan, was born in Ahmeek on 27 April 1915. He died Saturday 5 October, 2002 at Air Force Village II in San Antonio. He was graduated from Calumet High School, Calumet, Michigan in 1934. Subsequently, he earned the following degrees: A.B. from Northern State College, Marquette, Michigan in 1938; his M.A. degree from the University of California in Los Angeles in 1949; and his Ph.D. degree from John Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland in 1958. Col. Murphy entered the service of the U.S. Army on 7 March, 1941 at Fort Sheridan, Illinois as an enlisted man, rising to the rank of Technical Sergeant. On 5 August, 1942, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant. He served as Testing Officer in the U.S. Army Air Corps Aviation Cadet Selection program with assignments at Santa Ana, California; Amarillo, Texas; Miami Beach, Florida and Richmond, Virginia. Col. Murphy was integrated into the Regular Army in July, 1946, and was assigned to the School of Aviation Medicine, Randolph Field, Texas, in the Department of Psychology. It was here that he met Clara M. Morrey, who was stationed in the Air Evacuation Unit at Randolph. Four months later they were married. Additional duty stations included the Human Resources Research Institute, Maxwell AFB, Alabama; Engineering Psychology Branch, Headquarters, Air Research Development Command in Baltimore, Maryland; Chief of the Engineering Psychology Branch, Aerospace Medical Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio; Chief Behavioral Sciences Division, Hq. Air Force Systems Command, Andrews AFB, Maryland; Director Human Performance, Deputy Chief of Staff for Research and Development at Brooks AFB, Texas. After his retirement from the Air Force in October 1968, Col. Murphy became a faculty member of St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas. He and his wife, Clara moved to Air Force Village II in February, 1987. Bob was a dedicated member of the Catholic community at Village II, serving in many capacities and initiating new programs as the Village grew. Col. Murphy held memberships in the American Psychological Association, American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Society of Sigma Chi and Phi Beta Kappa. He is author of a professional publication entitled "Effects of Threat of Shock, Distraction and Task Design on Performance", published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology. Col. Murphy is survived by his dedicated wife of fifty-five years, Clara Murphy; sister and brother-in-law, Leona and Ted George of Tempe, Arizona; sister-in-law, Mary Murphy of Calumet, Michigan; nieces and nephews: Mary McIntyre, Frank and Colleen Morrey, Kaye Marilyn Medina, Fred and Ellen Morrey, Carol and Roy Mudrick, Sharen Demski, Michelle and Ken Neihmer, Irene Dolman, Charlotte Coleman, Barbara and Warner Iseppi, William Smith, Dennis and Carol George, and Pat Metz. The family will receive friends Tuesday Evening from 7 o'clock until 9 o'clock at Porter Loring on McCullough. In lieu of flowers, the family rquests memorial contributions may be made to Air Force Village II Health Care Center, 5100 John D. Ryan Blvd., San Antonio, TX 78245