
Kenneth Gerald Murphy
Help us celebrate Kenneth! Please share your stories and photos, and invite others who remember Kenneth.
On Thursday September 12th just before 1:00 PM we said farewell to Kenneth Gerard (Ken) Murphy. Ken was 66 when he passed peacefully at Accent Care Hospice, Christiana Hospital, Newark, DE, surrounded by his loved ones. He was the beloved husband of Cindy Murphy and proud father of Shawn, Jamie, Jordan and Marie. Ken was Poppy to Madison, Nathan, Macie, Lincoln and Austyn.
Ken was born on May 2nd, 1958, at Walter Reed hospital in Bethesda, MD to Lucille (Brown) and Roger Murphy. He is Brother to Dot (Joe), Dave (Pat) and Bob (Tina).
His early years were in Hamilton where he attended Saint Dominic's. He then moved to Parkville where he made lifelong friends at Ridge Gardens and graduated from Parkville High School, Class of '77. Ken was on the wrestling team and went to Regionals for his weight class. Ken loved sports. In addition to wrestling, he played soccer when he was young and he was an avid bowler as a young adult. Ken liked to fish at Loch Raven Reservoir.
In high school, Ken met his first wife Jane. They were married for 18 years and had 4 children.
He was in the Navy for four years (1977 - 82) and served on the USS Raleigh LPD 1. Ken has been a member of the American Legion SAL for many years.
After the Navy, Ken was hard-working in HVAC and also worked weekends at Libertore's as a meat cutter to provide for his family. He then went back to school where he studied to be an electrician. He graduated as a Journeyman and began his career at Elco Electric. Ken was an Electrical Estimator and made his way to become a Master Electrician, bidding multi-million dollar commercial jobs. Over the years, he also worked at Cove Electric, Blumenthal Kahn, Truland and ended his long career when he retired at age 62 back at Cove. Ken was not only excellent at his job, he was loved by his peers and colleagues. The salesmen still tell "Murph" stories. Ken was an instigator and agitator, but always in a fun and mischievous way. He was witty and had a distinctive and infectious laugh.
Ken met his wife Cindy in 2000 and they were married on September 21, 2001. They honeymooned in Grand Cayman and that started his wanderlust. Together the couple traveled on cruises and visited many Caribbean islands, England and Italy as well as to several destinations in the US with their timeshare over their first 15 years together.
Over 16 years they raised their German Shepherds Gunther and Samson. Samson is their service animal.
Regarding friendships, Ken reminisced about great times from his Parkville days at the Emerald Tavern and Putty Hill Station as well as annual vacations with the Parkville football gang at the Outer Banks (OBX).
He loved the Orioles and was present for Cal Ripken Jr.'s record-breaking 2131 game. Growing up, Ken was a Colts fan. Once Baltimore regained a football team, he became an avid fan of the Ravens and he and Cindy hosted friends in their Perryville home for Football Sunday every week for years. They loved to entertain and Ken was master of the pit and grill. And could he steam crabs!
Having grown up in the 70s', Ken loved his classic rock. He was introduced to the Blues by his "Outlaws" and a new tradition of attending Blues festivals and concerts followed.
Ken had always wanted to ride. His 2003 Harley Davidson Heritage Classic was his prized possession and he and Cindy loved to take rides up into the back roads of MD and PA on sunny days.
Being a Navy man and living close to the Susquehanna River, it was inevitable that he would want a boat. So, the couple bought and restored a 1980 Trojan F26 hard top. They must have been "Delusional" to buy a 30 year old boat, but new adventures with the Pirates of the Chesapeake ensued.
In September, 2016, the couple made a life-changing decision to purchase a home on Aruba. Ken said it was the best decision they ever made and he was definitely at his best on One Happy Island. He and his wife hosted family and friends over the next 7 years. His dream was fulfilled when they became Snowbirds and stayed for a full 6 months last Winter enjoying the sun, sand and surf.
James Taylor said it best: The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.
He is survived by his wife of 23 years Cynthia (Aleszczyk) Murphy; Sons Shawn Murphy (Nicole); Jordan Murphy and Daughters Jamie Adams (Nick) and Marie Kamberger (Joseph) as well as his grandchildren: Madison Murphy, Nathan Adams, Macie Adams, Lincoln Kamberger and Austyn Kamberger.
A Celebration of Life is planned for Saturday, October 26, 2024 at the Havre de Grace American Legion Post 47 from 1 - 5pm. Friends and family are encouraged to come with stories to share.
For condolences, please visit www.crouchfuneralhome.com

