Mary Murphy

Mary Dempsey Murphy died at Porter's Residential Hospice at the age of 83. She passed peacefully in her sleep on January 7, 2021. Mary was born to Frank and Malvie (Mullinax) Stone, and later raised and adopted by George Willie and Rosalie (Kilgo) Dempsey in Rome, Georgia. She grew up attending North Broad Baptist Church as a young girl where she learned to become a Christian and later was chosen to represent the state of Georgia in the Southern Baptist Sword Drill Competition in Ridgecrest North Carolina. She was also selected as class Chaplain in high school. With the help from her church, Deacons, and other churches she was able to fulfill her dream of going to college and becoming a Teacher. Her first jobs were around the Atlanta area where she taught French, English, and Physical Education. Mary enjoyed serving others. She loved working with the middle and high school ages and later helped military personnel and their wives at the military installations where her husband, Jack Murphy was stationed. Some of the places she lived were at McCoy Air Force Base in Orlando, Florida, March Air Force Base in Riverside California, Barksdale Air Force Base, in Bossier City Louisiana, Ellsworth Air Force Base in Box Elder, South Dakota, and here at Lowry and Buckley in Colorado. She volunteered at Queen of Peace in Aurora to serve as a "Martha" during funeral services. The church members brought a great deal of comfort and fellowship to her after the death of her husband.  Mary enjoyed listening for hours to the choir and Jimmy Swaggart, watching the Colorado Avalanche and the Denver Nuggets on television, crocheting baby blankets to donate to Children's Hospital and the Ronald McDonald house, and most of all hanging out with her grandchildren, family, and friends. She was strongheaded in her beliefs as well as a kind, loving woman who gave all that she had and tried her best to enjoy living life to the fullest within her abilities. Mary was inspirational to many, especially those who had Multiple Sclerosis.

Survivors include her daughters Tammy [John] Hottman (Castle Rock, Colorado) and Julie Murphy (Aurora, Colorado). Her grandchildren include Joshua Hottman (Rockaway, New Jersey) and Ashley Hottman (Colorado Springs, Colorado). Her sister Sarah and [Ronan] O'Malley (Houston, Texas) and brothers: Charlie and [Nancy] Stone (North Augusta, South Dakota), Earle and [Dorothy] Stone (Leesville, South Carolina), Johnand [Anne] Stone (Lexington, South Carolina), and Rodney Dempsey (Rome, Georgia). Mary was preceded in death by her husband Jack Murphy (Somerset, Kentucky) and her brother Allen Stone (Batesburg, South Carolina).

A Memorial service will be held on Thursday, June 10th ,2021 at the Horan & McConaty located at 11150 East Dartmouth Avenue, Aurora, Colorado 80014 at 10:00-1100
Followed by Committal Service at Fort Logan National Cemetery. Relatives and friends are welcome to attend. We are also celebrating their physical reunion on Earth with her husband on what would be their 59th Wedding Anniversary.

Memorial contributions are welcome in her honor to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Please go online to the Nationalmssociety.org for details or call 1-800-344-4867 Monday-Friday 9am-7pm ET.