Thomas Joseph Murphy

Thomas J. Murphy, 85, of Mt. Pleasant passed away Tuesday, October 21, 2014 at Woodland Hospice. A Funeral Mass for Tom will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, October 24, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church with Father Loren Kalinowski presiding and Deacon Larry Fussman assisting. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery with a luncheon to follow at Bucks Run. The family will receive friends at Charles R. Lux Family Funeral Home on Thursday from 2-8 p.m. with the Vigil beginning at 7:30 p.m. Visitation continues at the church on Friday one hour prior to Mass. Memorial contributions may be made to Woodland Hospice or to the University Of Michigan Cancer Center. Envelopes are available at the funeral home. Tom was born August 27, 1929 in Mt. Pleasant, son of the late William J. and Stella (Mead) Murphy. He attended Beal City Public Schools and the Michigan State University Agriculture Program. He married Donna Rae Crites on Feb. 9, 1952 at Sacred Heart. He served in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1950-1953 aboard the U.S.C.G.C. Woodbine and was honorably discharged as a petty officer second-class at the end of his enlistment. He was a member of Sacred Heart Parish. He was raised on the family farm, established in 1882, and continued farming with his sons, Tom and Bob, grandson Michael, and friend Matt Wieferich, until his death. He was very active in the community serving on numerous boards, including 20 plus years with Farm Credit Services. He held a real estate license and developed many properties, including Mineral Springs, along with his friend John Olson. He survived non-Hodgkins lymphoma, successfully undergoing a bone marrow transplant in 1996. Tom is survived by his wife of 62 years, Donna Murphy of Mt. Pleasant; six children, Peggy Murphy Lozen of Loveland, CO, Connie (Chuck) Walukonis of Traverse City, Thomas E. Murphy (Dianna Pearsall) of Mt. Pleasant, Diana (Chris) Jones of Rockford, Robert Murphy of Mt. Pleasant, and Charles (Karen) Murphy of Midland; 10 grandchildren, Michael (Niki) Lozen of Loveland, CO and Jon (Teri) Lozen of Greeley, CO, Kelsey Walukonis of Muskegon and Andrew Walukonis of Chicago, IL, Katherine Buick of Rockford, Angela and Michael Murphy of Mt. Pleasant, Nathan Jones of Rockford, Trevor and Tanner Murphy of Midland; two great-grandsons, Skyler and Caden Lozen of Loveland, Colorado; two great-granddaughters, Madelyn Lozen of Greeley, CO and Isabella Lozen of Loveland, CO; sisters-in-law, Patricia Murphy of Mt. Pleasant and Gloria Murphy of Marshall; one aunt, Catherine Mead of Mt. Pleasant; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by an infant son, Michael Joseph Murphy in 1953; his father-in-law Ray Crites in 1956; his mother-in-law Pearle Crites in 1998; sister, Mary Kostrzewa in 2009, his brothers, William F. Murphy and George B. Murphy in 2010; and brother-in-law Dan Kostrzewa in 2012. To sign the online guest book or leave a message for the family please visit www.charlesrlux.com