Carol Eileen Murphy

Carol Eileen Murphy was born a firecracker and rebel soul in Dachau, Germany, to Teofil 'Phil' and Marleen Wierzgacz on June 28, 1952. She moved to the United States in 1960, and was the oldest sister to four brothers; Philip, David, Michael and Daniel. She married Thomas Mehringer as a young woman and with him had two daughters, Lisa and Samantha. Thomas and Carol divorced when the girls were young and she was a very hard working mom who made sure that her girls never went without. Her intelligence, work ethic, and loving, generous heart were the most important gifts she ever gave to her daughters, as well as the world. Carol would have given her last dollar to someone in need, and literally spent almost all that she had on others.

She married Charles Thomas Murphy on August 15, 1981. They merged their families, and our family joked that we put the “fun” in dysfunction. They always loved to have a good time, and there was a lot of laughter and fun growing up. While there were some heartaches, conflict and sad times, there was also so much love and they raised children who they were endlessly and vocally proud of, and their children knew that they were loved. Their home was always open on holidays to those who had nowhere to go; as a rule, they took care of others and taught their children to have the same generous nature. No family is perfect; they were honest, good, and hard working parents who did their very best. Murphy preceded Carol in death. It is a comfort to know that they are finally reunited.

Her final years were spent living with her daughter Samantha, son-in-law Jay, her grandchildren Jacob and Max, and Jay's father Jim. She said that these years were some of the happiest of her life. She lived to spoil the family dogs, Diego, Alex, Poodle, and Rocky, much to her daughter's constant and sometimes humorous dismay.

Carol was a great cook, and for her, food was a form and part of love and she enjoyed making big meals for her family. Her recipes and time spent enjoying her meals is a memory and legacy that her family will always remember fondly. We would give anything to have just one more tray of her lasagna.

Carol will be remembered as a woman who loved a little too much, cooked a little too much, and lived life exactly as she wanted. She will be dearly missed.

She is survived by daughters Lisa Marshall (Nick) and Samantha Cricks (Jay), step-daughter Dawn Hupalo (Steve), brothers Philip, David (Donna), Michael, Daniel (Mark); grandchildren Darrell, Dustin, Monique, Kristin, Nicholas, Alex, Christopher, Jonathon, Matthew, Steven, Miranda, Madison, Jacob, and Max. She is also survived by so many friends who she thought about until the end. She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband Murphy, her step-children Chuck Murphy and Joy Murphy.

As she wished, in lieu of a formal funeral, her life will be celebrated with an intimate gathering, dinner, and tree planting to celebrate her life.