Dallas County Democrats
In Memory: Craig Murphy

Service for Craig Murphy were held Wednesday, December 20, at 2 PM, in the Lefkowitz Chapel of Temple Emanu-El, which is at 8500 Hillcrest, on the northeast corner of Hillcrest and Northwest Highway.

We received this from James C. Monroe late Saturday night (December 16, 2000):

"Craig Murphy, long time Party Activist and precinct chair, founding member of the Oak Lawn and Oak Cliff Democrats, and all around good guy, passed away tonight at 9 PM, after a long struggle against pancretitus and related complications. We are going to sorely miss him. Please give Jan Murphy all of the support you can."

Craig Murphy was one of the stalwart mainstays of the Democratic Party in Dallas County and was very actively involved as a key player in campaigns and conventions for the quarter of a century that I have known him here. His energy, enthusiasm, and judgment can never be replaced. He was also a genuine delight to be around.

Craig and Jan's address was 703 N. Oak Cliff Blvd., Dallas TX 75208-3120.

-- Bill Howell, Dallas County Democratic Party Chair

"Craig, along with his wife, Jan, have given tirelessly to the Party....He was heavily involved in redistricting efforts. Most recently, he was the motivating force to establish the Dallas County Democratic Victory Fund which assisted Mary Ann Huey and Charles Munoz in their near-successful efforts to capture countywide offices in Dallas County. We will miss Craig, his personality and his politics, and his unending work for a better world. He was a friend of mine for better than a quarter century, and I know some of you knew him as long as I."

-- Ken Molberg

Obituary Notice:

MURPHY, DR. CRAIG, 56, died Saturday, Dec. 16, after a long illness. A mathematician, he was a consultant to the U.S. Army on electronic intelligence, working for Blackhawk Management Corp. of Houston. Born in San Francisco, the son of the late Gwen and Robert Murphy. He attended California Institute of Technology and was graduated from University of California at Berkeley, where he did graduate work. He went back to school many years later and received his doctorate in mathematics from the University of Texas at Dallas in 1996. A long time Democratic precinct chair, Murphy was known for his expertise in redistricting. He created the current 14-1 Dallas City Council plan now in effect, as well as plans for the State House of Representatives, Dallas County JP districts and the DISD seats. He was a founder of both Oak Lawn and Oak Cliff Democrats and helped other Democratic clubs to organize throughout the county. He was a member of Temple Emanu-El. He is survived by his wife, Janet Caro Murphy; they met when both were delegates to the 1980 Democratic National Convention. Also surviving are his brother, Gerald, and wife Ellie, San Jose, CA; a nephew and two nieces, Duane Murphy, Vacaville, CA; Bonnie Murphy, San Jose, CA; and Erin Wilson, Manitou Springs, CO; and his step-children, Suzanne Carol Yallum, Ridgewood, NJ, and Mark Caro Yallum, New York City. Special thanks are conveyed to Drs. Hugh McClung, Marilyn Levi, Allen Rubin, Richard Mathews, Stan Henry and their colleagues, as well as all the St. Paul's Hospital caregivers, particularly the ICU nurses. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20, in the Lefkowitz Chapel of Temple Emanu-El, 8500 Hillcrest, with Rabbi David E. Stern officiating. Memorial donations may be made to the Dallas County Democratic Party or to Temple Emaanu-El's welfare-to-work project, Jacob's Ladder.

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