Katherine’s Obituary Katherine Ann Ferguson Murphy passed away peacefully on Tuesday, March 12, 2019. She was born in Chicago, IL and moved after the age of six months to Scarsdale, NY. Katherine was a graduate of Scarsdale High School and Washington School for Secretaries in New York City.
Katherine worked for many years in New York City as the Executive Secretary to the President of the Continental Can Company. In her free time, Katherine went to Broadway shows and performances as well as attended dances with the USO. It is there that Katherine would meet her husband to be.
Katherine married Stephen R. Murphy in St Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City and moved to the suburbs of Washington D.C. Over the years, Katherine, Stephen and family would spend Christmas and summers visiting friends in New Orleans – where her husband Stephen was born, and in New Iberia, LA where Stephen spent his teen years and inherited a family home. Louisiana was a far cry from New York, but Katherine dove in and joined her husband in his joy for the culture, friends and heritage of Louisiana. Katherine raised two children with her husband, Stephen until the Navy transferred the family with CNET to Pensacola, Florida in 1972.
Katherine spent much of her time volunteering with St Ann Catholic Church, Gulf Breeze Hospital and attending Bible Studies with the neighborhood ladies. Katherine, being a loving and supportive wife, spent many years as the primary caregiver for her ill husband, Stephen during his later years who suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease. During Stephen’s illness, Katherine would drive him to Louisiana to help him remember his joy from his youth.
After his death, Katherine found her experience with caregiving for her husband and the knowledge of Alzheimer’s disease to be of help to others who were impacted by the disease as its prevalence began to increase. Katherine even in Stephen’s illness, made efforts to get Stephen to Louisiana to reminisce and visit what he believed to be Heaven. Katherine helped co-found the Alzheimer’s Family Services of Pensacola, which helped give the caregivers of those suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease the tools to understanding the disease and a place to learn from others going through the same process.
Katherine was an active Board Member of Alzheimer’s Family Services for many years and even up until the time the organization she co-founded was absorbed by what is known today as Covenant Family Services. Katherine moved from Gulf Breeze to Azalea Trace in Pensacola and spent the last 20 years enjoying new friends, playing Bridge and exotic travels to Hawaii, the Caribbean, Canada, Greece, Britain, Europe – including a trip leaving on the Concorde and returning on the Queen Elizabeth II. Katherine was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution in New Iberia, LA.
Katherine tirelessly tried to make her every day one filled with more joy than anything else. She smiled through adversity. All that life through her way – she bravely took the challenges and forged through wearing a hat any day she could!
Katherine is preceded in death by her mother, Edith Ann Walsh; her father, Leslie Everett Ferguson; her sister, Nancy Everett Ferguson; and her husband, Stephen Robert Murphy. Katherine is survived by son, Stephen R. Murphy, III; daughter, Amalie E. Murphy; granddaughters, Arainn Murphy and Kenna Murphy. Funeral Mass will be held 11:00am Monday, March 25, 2019 at St. Ann Catholic Church in Gulf Breeze, FL with Msgr.
Luke Hunt celebrant. Graveside service will be held 12:00 noon Tuesday, March 26, 2019 at Rose Hill Cemetery, New Iberia, LA. “Many thanks to the caregivers assisting with Katherine’s care over the past months – Tina, Amy, Vicki and others who provided outstanding service, the support of Covenant Care.
Grateful appreciation also goes to Azalea Trace for providing her years of delightful retirement living and helping honor Katherine’s wishes for so long”.
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