Penny Murphy

Penny Murphy died November 1st, 2021 an extraordinary wife, mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, and friend. The world is worse off without her in it. Penny Murphy was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee on February 26th, 1948 to Clayton and Eleanor Johnson, one of 10 siblings. Penny grew up surrounded by love but not much else. She and her siblings worked hard from youth to support their large family. Penny did whatever it took to care for her own from waiting tables to driving rental cars to working as a security guard at colleges and the airport. She ended her long, driven career as a jewelry salesperson and then tax advisor. Thankfully, she enjoyed a solid decade of retirement before her departure from this world. In that time, she witnessed her grandchildren grow up and spent every day with her loving husband, David. Penny devoted herself to caring for others, humans and other animals alike. She donated to the homeless and fed critters near and far. Most of all, she loved her kin. She and David shared more than a half century together, side-by-side to the very end. Penny now has family on both coasts and so many places in between. And she is missed by all of us more than we can ever express. Like her mother and sisters before her, Penny was a strong matriarch who led our family through thick times and thin. Penny is survived by her devoted husband David Murphy and loving children Charity and John Slobecheski, Hope and Jamie Whetsell and Clay and Nichole Murphy, her brothers and sisters Clay and Deb Johnson, Alvin and Tina Qualls, and Rod Bette Qualls, nieces and nephews Kelley and Ron Beyl, Kimberly Lane and Nick Shaw, and grandchildren Amber, Deven, Maryn, Molly, Aidan Jack, and Sarah Jane, and cousins Faith, Roderick, Nicholas, Brittany, Georgia and Waylon. Penny will always represent love, strength and courage in our household. We both mourn and celebrate her as a family. We will honor her life and light together over the Thanksgiving holiday and forevermore.