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Obituary for Thomas Harvey Murphy
Murphy, Thomas Harvey, age 93, of Littleton is survived by his children Patricia Backes (John), Michael Murphy (Carolyn), Donna Murphy and Colleen Murphy; his grandchildren Charleen Becker (Dan) and Kelleen Anderson (Matt), Patrick Murphy, Daniel Murphy (Ginny) and Sarah Taulli (Joey); his great-grandchildren Ryne and Dara Becker, Elizabeth Anderson and Anna Grace Taulli; also survived by a sister, Anna Ruth Clark (Bruce) of Mt. Washington, Ky. Thomas, born May 8, 1919, was the son of Charles E. and Nova Murphy of Shelbyville, Kentucky. He married Anna Grace Bennet, daughter of Ellis and Elizabeth Bennet of Louisville, Kentucky on October 11, 1941. Enlisting in the U. S. Army as a private in January 1941, he served in Iceland as a Staff Sergeant in both defense and military justice until March, 1943 when he returned to the United States to attend Officers Candidate School at Fort Benning, GA. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lt. and began training in Yuma, AZ with the 318th Regiment, 80th Division. Landing in France on D-Day +57 he was in combat 277 days. Serving as a front-line Intelligence Officer, he was with the lead element under General Patton breaking the German encirclement at the siege of Bastogne in the Battle of the Bulge, Dec. 1944 to Jan. 1945. He was decorated twice for conspicuous gallantry in combat, receiving 2 Bronze Stars. He later served as a Finance Officer in Germany during the occupation. In 2010 he authored a book on his experiences in WWII. His book was titled Without a Scratch. Upon returning home after the war he and Anna were blessed with 4 children. Patricia, Michael, Donna and Colleen, all of whom received college degrees and reside in Colorado. He embarked upon a career in the Franchise industry becoming an authority on Franchise Law. His expert testimony before the Federal Trade Commission resulted in many of the Franchise Laws we have today. His contributions helped to develop Franchising in this country and abroad. He also authored many books on franchising and published a newsletter called the Continental Franchise Review. He received the prestigious Free Enterprise Award from the International Franchise Association. He loved his Arabian Horses and raised many fine animals. He was an excellent horseman imparting those skills to his four children. He also loved to hunt and fish whenever an opportunity arose. He retired and closed his office in July of 2011 at the age of 91. He was preceded in death by his wife of 67 years in 2009.
Cemetery: Committal ceremony, Tuesday, January 29, 2013, 1:00 PM, staging area 'A'. Please join us for a Celebration of Life with reception at the Columbine Lakes clubhouse, 4192 West Pondview Drive, Littleton Colorado 80123 following the services.
