Virginia Anne Murphy

Virginia Anne Murphy, age 88, passed away peacefully on Saturday, January 16, 2021 in San Antonio, Texas. She was born on July 4, 1932 in Mount Holly, New Jersey to the late Chester and Virginia (nee Stone) VanSciver.

Virginia was an only child and grew up in Burlington, New Jersey. She graduated from Burlington High School in the Class of 1950. In September 1951, she met Thomas Murphy, a young Rider College student and a career military officer. They married on September 8, 1952, in Hagerstown, Maryland. While moving around quite often due to her husband’s military service, they raised eight children with Virginia concurrently studying nursing and attending cosmetology school in Germany. She also earned a bachelor’s degree in German language, a master’s degree in German Literature, and a PhD in Reading Education.

After her husband’s retirement in San Antonio, Texas, with their children grown, Virginia and Thomas moved to Germany where Virginia taught English at a high school on an American Army base. They spent the several joyous years traveling throughout Germany and France. They eventually returned to the states to live in Wyoming before moving to Boerne and then finally to San Antonio.

Virginia was an avid reader and learned to speak five languages. She enjoyed spending time with her family and gardening. Virginia also loved exploring her family roots and became a website administrator for a genealogy group. Through her avid research, she discovered and followed her roots back to the 1600’s to the Virginia Colony in America.

In addition to her parents, Chester and Virginia VanSciver, she was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas, who passed away in November 2020. Virginia is survived by her eight children: Brian Murphy (Regina) of Chesterfield, MI; Sharon Flanigan of Centennial, CO; Susanne Burton of San Antonio, TX; Stuart Murphy (Anne) of Oshkosh, WI; Carolyn Trigilio (Robert) of San Antonio, TX; Deirdre Ciminski (Steven) of Stillwater, MN; Karl Murphy (Jennifer) of Round Rock, TX; and Eric Murphy of Fort Collins, CO; ten grandchildren, Scott and Katie Flanigan, Stephanie Brydon (Jonathan), Michael Burton, Keeley Winkel (Ryan), Christina Curran, Ryan Ciminski, Emily and Lauren Murphy, and Hannah Murphy; and four great grandchildren: Hayes and Tate Brydon, and Piersen and Hawthorne Winkel.

A Celebration of Life gathering will be held for her family and friends at 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 6, 2021 at Porter Loring Mortuary North.

Virginia Murphy will be laid to rest with her husband at FORT SAM HOUSTON NATIONAL CEMETERY. There will be a private family memorial service at the gravesite.