The Roger P. Murphy

The Honorable Roger P. Murphy, of Waukesha, died peacefully on Saturday, July 11, 2009 at LindenGrove Health Care Center at the age of 85.  He was born in Lancaster, WI on October 17, 1923 the son of Frank and Alice (Petty) Murphy and was a 1941 graduate of Lancaster High School.  In 1943 he entered the United States Air Force where he flew 29 combat missions in the European Theater of War in England.  Judge Murphy received his undergraduate degree in economics in 1948 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and then went on to graduate in 1951 from the University of Wisconsin Law School.  He started his career as a claims attorney in 1951 at Mutual Insurance Company in Fond du Lac.  He then worked for Rural Mutual Insurance Company in Waukesha and Milwaukee from 1952 until 1956.  In March of 1956 he went into private practice at Werra & Murphy Law Offices in Waukesha and Dousman.  In January of 1961, he was elected the district attorney of Waukesha County where he served five consecutive elected terms. In January 1971 he was elected State Senator, 33rd District of Wisconsin where he served until 1980. He then was appointed circuit court judge in Waukesha until his retirement in 1999.  Judge Murphy was the past chairman of the Wisconsin Federation of Young Republicans, a member of the Executive Committee of the Wisconsin Republican Party and the Waukesha County Republican Party, a member of the American, Wisconsin and Waukesha County Bar Associations, a member of the National and Wisconsin District Attorneys’ Associations, past president of the Wisconsin District Attorneys’ Association, past Exalted Ruler of the Waukesha Elks Lodge No. 400, and a member of the Evangelical and Reformed United Church of Christ in Waukesha. Judge Murphy will be sadly missed by his wife Arlene (nee Laubenheimer) of Waukesha, sons: Mark (Jennifer) Murphy of Wauwatosa and Tom (LeAnne) Murphy of Clear Water, MN, six grandsons: Abe, Ben, Gavin, Keegan, Nolan and Mac.  He is further survived by other relatives and many friends.  He is preceded in death by his daughter Margaret Jane on November 28, 2005. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, July 14, 2009 from 5:00 until 7:00PM at the Randle-Dable Funeral Home, 1110 S. Grand Ave., Waukesha, WI. An Elks Lodge of Sorrow Service to be held at 7:00PM. Visitation continues on Wednesday, July 15, 2009 from 2:00 until the 3:00PM funeral service at the Evangelical and Reformed United Church of Christ, 413 Wisconsin Ave., Waukesha, WI 53186.  Full Military Honors will follow the service at church.  Burial will be at the Laubenheimer Family Cemetery in Richfield, WI. Memorials are appreciated to the church (address above) or the Waukesha Elks Lodge No. 400, 2301 Springdale Road, Waukesha, WI 53186. For further information, please call Randle-Dable Funeral, Cremation and Preplanning Services at (262) 547-4035, or go to www.waukeshafunerals.com for directions or to leave an on-line tribute.