Allen McMurphy

RICHFORD - Allen Lemuel McMurphy Jr., age 89, passed away on Wednesday, July 9, 2015 at the Northwestern Medical Center in St. Albans.

Allen was born in Randolph, VT on Christmas day, December 25, 1925 to the late Allen Lemuel Sr. & Fannie Moseley (Harrington) McMurphy. Allen was one of eight (8) children. He received his early education in Randolph Center Elementary School and graduated from Randolph High School in 1943.

Allen\u0027s service to his country included participation in the CAP Reserve Corps in 1943, then entry into the U.S. Army Air Corps. He later served in the Vermont National Guard for 4 years, from 1955 to 1959.

This child of the beautiful Vermont hills served on active duty in Mississippi, Georgia, and Alabama. It was in Dothan, Alabama, that he met his lifelong love, Mary Emily Jacobs, a Georgia peach known to family and friends as Emily. After being honorably discharged from the Army Air Corps in 1944, Allen went to his parents\u0027 home in Trout River, New York, where his father was serving in Customs and Immigration; but he couldn\u0027t stay away from the lovely redhead very long and soon returned to Dothan.

Allen graduated from Alabama Photo School, and became a photographer with L&J Studio in Dothan. On April 21, 1946, he and Emily were married in Dothan. In early 1949, he transplanted his Georgia peach and their young son, Michael, to Trout River, where they lived with Allen\u0027s parents for 2 years. Their daughter, Cheryl, was their gift to Michael on his third birthday. In 1951, Allen bought a photography studio, Studio North, in Richford, and the family has lived there ever since. In 1954, he was recruited to be a photographer for the U.S. Forestry Service in Washington, D.C., but could not find housing he considered suitable for his young family and returned to Richford. Their third child, Barry, was born in November that year. Allen worked for local newspapers and relaunched his studio, eventually expanded to include a printing business called Richford Studio-Press. After the birth of the fourth child, Kerri, Allen also sidelined as a school photographer for Alston Studios. Before deciding to retire, he worked 13 years as a traffic manager for HK Webster, Blue Seal Feeds.

Not being content with retirement, Allen has served as Richford town moderator, justice of the peace, and member of the Board of Civil Authority. He worked as a lister for the town of Richford, a position from which he finally retired last year, at age 88. Even after this retirement, he continued to serve as an auditor for the town. Last year, he received the golden service award from the Richford Beautification Committee in appreciation for a lifetime of dedicated service to the community of Richford. Richford\u0027s Hometown Follies, in which Allen performed for many years, dedicated their 2014 show to him. The Vermont Secretary of State named him a citizen of the year for his many years of service to the town and state.

Allen and Emily have been members of the Richford Baptist Church for more than 60 years. Allen served the church as, among many other positions, Head Deacon and lead bass in the choir.

Allen was a dedicated brother of the Masons. He was named a Master Mason in 1954, and served Missisquoi Lodge No. 9 as Master. He was secretary-treasurer of his Lodge for decades, and served as District Deputy Grand Master of the Seventh Masonic District, with distinction. He served the Grand Lodge of Vermont as Worshipful Grand Sword Bearer and was awarded the John Barney Medal for his devoted service to his country, his community, his church, and Vermont Free Masonry and has been named Citizen of the Year.

Allen was the last remaining charter member of the Lions Club of Richford, for which he served in multiple offices including (twice) King Lion. The Lions Club International Foundation named him a Melvin Jones Fellow for dedicated humanitarian service and the International President named him an Everyday Hero. He was also a member of the American Legion.

Allen is survived by his wife, Emily (Jacobs) McMurphy of Richford; their children, Michael & his wife Maureen McMurphy of Potomac, MD; Cheryl and her husband Morris "Buzz" Joseph of Carmel, CA; Barry & his wife Christy McMurphy of Topeka, KS; and Kerri Plante and her significant other Charles Senesac of Highgate; grandchildren, Matthew & spouse Amanda McMurphy, Kevin & spouse Amanda McMurphy, Heather & spouse Hans Kramer, step grandson Zachary & spouse Ayala Joseph, Mead McMurphy, step grandson Nathan Walker, Jonathan and Shawn Plante, and 5 adopted grandchildren, Anthony, Myah, Savannah, Hailey, and Payton; 6 great grandchildren, Daly, Emmett, Vivian, Zaia, Sami, and Nora; a brother, James & his wife Barbara McMurphy of Witchita, KS; siblings-in-law, Shirleen Thornton and Ruth Reddish both of Waynesville, GA, Mercedes Dowling of Nahunta, GA and William & Mavis Jacobs of Waycross, GA and many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, grand-nephews, and great-grand-nieces & nephews. Besides his parents, Allen was predeceased by a grandson, Patrick Michael McMurphy; a son-in-law, Donald Plante; siblings, Harrington, Martha (Law), Traver, Laura (Maloney), Clarence and Eldon and siblings-in-law, Southwell Jacobs, Theresa Strickland, Agnes Johns, and Shelba Jean Jacobs.

A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, July 15 at 2:00 PM, at the Richford First Baptist Church, with Pastor Timothy Stetson officiating. Interment will follow in the Richford Center Cemetery.

A time of visitation will be held at the church on July 15, from 1:00 PM until the hour of the service. There will be a fellowship hour (with refreshments) to share love and memories in the church\u0027s downstairs fellowship hall following the interment.

For those who wish, contributions in Allens memory may be made to the Richford First Baptist Church, 30 School Street, Richford VT 05476.