James Thomas Murphy

James Thomas Murphy passed away peacefully on October 15, 2020 at home in Oklahoma City with family at his side.  Jim was born March 13, 1933 to John Edward Murphy and Margaret Jane Murphy in Hinton, Oklahoma and graduated from Hinton High School.  He received his undergraduate degree in engineering from Oklahoma State University and master’s degrees in industrial engineering from Oklahoma State and civil engineering from University of California, Berkeley.  He married his high school sweetheart, Shirlene Herbold, and they had a son, Mike and a daughter, Patti.  After working for the Army Corp of Engineers, he began a career with the Federal Aviation Administration, living in Hinton, Berkeley, California, Washington, D.C., Oklahoma City, Honolulu, Hawaii and Rome, Italy, before retiring in 1990.  Jim then went to work for the International Civil Aviation Organization for the United Nations, working in Eastern Europe and Saudi Arabia during the winters and returning during summers to farm in Hinton.  He later worked for the Chickasaw Nation in Albuquerque, NM.  He completed his engineering career but remained a farmer.  His roots were deep in western Oklahoma and he appreciated the beauty and potential of his land.  He was disciplined and understood the value of hard work, but was also generous, kind and as trustworthy a man as you could ever know.  We will miss the twinkle in his Irish eyes as he regaled us with accounts of his life on the farm and in faraway places.

He was predeceased by his parents; sister, Frances Murphy Bode; and children, Mike Murphy and Patti Harrison. 

He is survived by his wife, Shirlene Murphy; grandchildren, Micah Stirling, Christopher Silvernail (Brigitte) and Melissa Harrison; great-grandchildren, Evelyn, Ingrid, Edith, Ethan, Benjamin, Max, Birdie and Kaidyn, step grandson, Jason Silvernail (Nicole) and their two children, Alex and Sarah.                  

The family asks the friends to respectively stay in your cars at the graveside services, and to please wear a mask and social distancing required.   

Graveside Services: Hinton Cemetery, Monday, 11:30 am, October 19, 2020, Hinton, OK  

Officiating: Rev. Kelly Edwards

Burial: Hinton Cemetery, Hinton, OK services entrusted to Turner Funeral Home, Hinton, Oklahoma. Condolences may be sent to the family at turnerfuneralhomes@gmail.com, turnerfh.net, or you can find us on facebook.com (Turner Funeral Homes).

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