Donald F. Murphy

Donald F. "Murph" Murphy, 76, of Beach City, died Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2009, in Hennis Care Centre, Dover after battling cancer.

Born Nov. 3, 1933, in Dover, he was a son of the late Fred E. and Esther Mears Murphy. Murph graduated from Dover High School in 1952, and, on Jan. 9, 1953, married the former Lydia Mae Rieger in Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, Dover. He was employed by Becker's Potato Farm and Rees Cast Stone, and later by the Reeves Steel Co. from which he retired in 1995 after thirty years of service.

Murph was a long-time member of First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Beach City. He was a loving husband and father, who especially enjoyed his grandchildren � watching them grow up, and later, spending time with his great-grandchildren.

In his younger days, Murph liked to go to sprint dirt track races in Wayne County. He also liked working with wood in later life, always having a project underway.

Survivors include his wife, Lydia Mae; a son, Tom (Gay) Murphy of Strasburg; three grandchildren, Ryan (Jeneal) Murphy, Shawna (Chad) Wells and Dakota Murphy; four great-grandchildren, Brandt and Reid Wells, and Kenzie and Lincoln Murphy; a brother, Kenneth (Janet) Murphy of Dover; numerous nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, Murph was preceded in death by a beloved son, Bruce Murphy.

A funeral service will be held Saturday, Jan. 2, at 11 a.m. in the Toland-Herzig Funeral Home & Crematory, Dover, with Pastor Steve Woyen officiating. Burial will be in Grandview Union Cemetery, Strasburg. Family and friends are invited to call at the funeral home on Saturday, 10 � 11 a.m. To sign an online guestbook and share a fond memory of Murph, please visit the Toland-Herzig Web site and click on Obituaries.

The family suggests that contributions in Murph's memory be made to the charity of the donor's choice.

Toland-Herzig, Dover
330-343-6132
www.tolandherzig.com