Robert H. Murphy passed away at his home in King City, Ore., on April 3, 2020. He was age 96.

Bob was born Sept. 24, 1923, in Spokane, and lived much of his life in the Cusick, Usk and Newport area. His parents were Henry and Emma (Kuehl) Murphy. He was married to Ella Marie (Petterson) Murphy, who he met at Cusick High School. He was a senior in 1941, and she was a freshman. She wrote in his 1941 yearbook, "Even though you're graduating, I hope we'll still be pals." They were married on Oct. 8, 1944. In high school, Bob played sports (football, basketball, track and boxing), sang in the chorus, and was in the Honor Club.

Bob and Marie lived on his parents' farm on Cusick Meadow Road when they were first married, until the great flood of 1948 inundated the farm. The water was up to the rafters, and their little house came unmoored, held in place only by the power line into the house. They decided to move up the hill, far away from the Pend Oreille River, and bought a farm near the Flowery Trail Road and Danforth Road.

They were dairy farmers on that farm for several years as they raised their three children, Shannon, Jim and Ed. During World War II, they received a farm deferment, allowing them to play a vital role by farming and providing milk products. Bob enjoyed hunting and fishing, gardening, and picking raspberries in his spare time on the farm. He also seldom missed a football or basketball game while his children were in high school.

In 1963, Bob went to work as a lineman for the Pend Oreille Public Utility District, where he worked until he retired in 1984. In 1968 they sold the farm and moved to Newport, where they built a home on the river along Ashenfelter Bay Road. A couple years after Bob's retirement, they moved to Grants Pass, Ore., where they lived for 19 years, and then to King City, to be closer to family. Marie passed away in August of 2006. They were married for 62 years.

Bob and Marie were members of the Presbyterian Church in Cusick (now the Pend Oreille Bible Church) and the Methodist Church in Grants Pass. Bob always supported education, and served on the Board of Cusick School District No. 59 for several years. He was also active in the Calispell Grange in Cusick, was a volunteer and leader in the Mountain View 4-H Club, and belonged to the Knights of Pythias in Grants Pass. Bob and Marie were devoted to helping those in need in every community in which they lived, particularly by providing food through local food pantries.

One of Bob's favorite activities was dancing. He and Marie never missed a chance to dance together at the Grange Hall in Cusick, as well as the many dances held in the Cusick High School gymnasium. Dancing was probably the thing Bob missed most as he grew older and his wife passed away, but he always seemed ready to dance again. (He even had great fun dancing with his daughter-in-law, Dana Murphy, just a year and a half ago). Bob always enjoyed playing cards, especially pinochle and cribbage. He also liked to bowl and was on a bowling team when he lived in Grants Pass. In his later years, he loved to play pool with his son Jim and some of Jim's family members, and often played cribbage with his son Ed and daughter Shannon.

Bob was very interested in local Pend Oreille history, especially because his family and Marie's family both had deep roots in the county. He published an article in The Big Smoke magazine in 2003 called "The History of My Family in Pend Oreille County."

Bob was preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Emma Murphy; his wife, Marie Murphy; and his three sisters, Maye Martin, June Deschand and Alice Sherwin. He is survived by his daughter Shannon Wood, and her husband Rick, who live in Cataldo, Idaho; his son Jim Murphy and his wife Linda, who live in Troutdale, Ore.; and his son Ed Murphy and his wife Dana, who live in Tigard, Ore. Bob was blessed with nine grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.

Bob Murphy led a long and fruitful life. He is remembered by his friends and family as kind-hearted, friendly, gentle, charming, quick-witted, fun-loving, honest man with a wonderful smile and a keen sense of humor. He had a positive outlook on life, was quick to laugh, liked to joke with others, and almost never complained. He was generous and appreciative, gave a lot of love, and was well-loved in return. Bob was hardworking, and always handy at building or fixing things (which a farmer needed to be), and built his and Marie's lovely home on the river just north of Newport.

He loved all of his family members, and enjoyed spending holidays and birthdays gathered together with family. He always had a big smile, sparkling eyes, and a hug for everyone. He was a joy to be around, and will be remembered with fondness by his many friends at King City Senior Village, where he lived for the last seven years of his life. As one of his granddaughters, Mallory, put it "it didn't matter who you were, he'd make you laugh and feel like you were so important and wanted."

Bob was a sweet and good man, an inspiration to all who knew him, and a testament to a life well-lived.

Bob's remains will be buried in the Newport Cemetery in a burial plot adjacent to his wife's burial plot sometime this summer. At this time, there are no plans for a memorial service, due to COVID-19 restrictions. Donations in his name may be made to the Pend Oreille Historical Society, Inc. (an all-volunteer, non-profit 501c3 organization, located at 402 South Washington Ave., Newport, WA 99156), or to your local food bank.