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James Leo Murphy, age 84 of River Falls, WI, died unexpectedly on Friday, March 7, 2025, at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, MN. Jim was born the son of Leo and Lucy (Schommer) Murphy on August 7, 1940, in River Falls. He grew up there, graduating from River Falls High School with the class of 1958. He attended the University of Wisconsin River Falls for two years. Jim spent the next two years working for the railroad before transferring to the University of Wisconsin Madison where he graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering. After college, Jim served his country in the Navy. After his service, he went to work for the Federal Aviation Administration. Jim met Carol Racine in 1969 through mutual friends. They were married on August 1, 1970, at St. Leo’s Catholic Church in St. Paul, MN. They settled back in River Falls, WI in 1973. Jim started and ran an engineering and land surveying business for several years before going to work at the University of Wisconsin River Falls in Facilities Management as a Senior Planner. He retired from UWRF after 26 years. Jim was active in the Knights of Columbus and served on the River Falls Utility Commission. He enjoyed spending time outdoors and playing Bridge. He valued spending time with his family and friends. He was a friendly, likeable guy who made friends easily and anywhere. Jim was a man of character who was kind and generous and always saw the good in people he met. He is preceded in death by his parents, Leo and Lucy Murphy; and siblings, Doris Murphy, Mary Ann (Jim) McJilton, Gerald Murphy, Elizabeth (Jerome) Gotz, Claire (Betty) Murphy, Ambrose (Caryl) Murphy, and Thomas Murphy. Jim is survived by his wife, Carol Murphy; children, Patrick (Summer Stephens) Murphy, John Murphy, and Meghan (Nathan) Mackey; grandchildren, Angus Murphy and Harper Mackey; siblings, Dorothy (Tony) Labrash and Bill (Kathryn) Murphy; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Mass of Christian Burial was Saturday, March 15, 2025, at 12 noon at St. Bridget Catholic Church 211 E Division Street River Falls, WI. Visitation was also on Saturday from 10am – 12 noon at the church. Interment was in St. Bridget’s Cemetery in River Falls. Arrangements are with Bakken-Young Funeral & Cremation Services.
Jim loved God, his family, and friends. Everyone he met was his neighbor.
45 Comments
Carol, Meghan, and boys, I am so sorry to hear of Jim’s passing. You are in our thoughts and prayers. <3 Corri
Jim will be dearly missed by all who knew him. He was an awesome neighbor, a loyal friend and a pillar in the community. Jim didn’t have a mean bone in his body, was always smiling and good for a great story or two. The world needs more Jim Murphys in it. Rhonda and I are praying for peace and comfort for Carol, Patrick, John, Meghan and the whole Murphy family.
So sorry to hear. Our deepest sympathy to Carol, Meghan, Patrick, John and all who loved him. He was a wonderful man.
A nicer man and family you could never find may he rest in peace Amen
i just had a great conversation with him Friday morning at Table on Main his memory and memories were amazing and interesting. he was so sharp! so sorry for your loss!!!
I have been gone from River Falls for a long time, but still remember Jim and the Murphy family. Such a nice guy from a wonderful family. May Jim rest in peace. My condolences to the Murphy family. May the road rise to meet you! Gloria Linehan
One cool wonderful man !!! Always smiling!
Jim was a great man and friend he would stop by shop I am sad miss you murph
So so sorry to hear of Jim’s passing. Just had a nice chat with him on friday!! Hugs to all of you 💔
Carol, Patrick, Meghan and John, sorry to hear about Jim. He truly was a wonderful man and we are proud to have known him. He was great to work with serving on the Utility Board. Sympathy to all.🙏🏻
Mrs. Murphy , Pat, John and Meghan, I was so saddened to hear of Mr. Murphy’s passing. He was a wonderful man and always brought a smile to my face whenever we spoke. He will be dearly missed. May Christ’s peace and comfort be with you all during this difficult time. You all are in our prayers.
So very sorry to hear of Jim’s passing. We were happy to see him recently—still the same wonderful guy! Our condolences to the whole family.
Jim (“Murph”) was one of my classmates who made the most impact on me during my short 2 1/2 years at RFHS. He set the standards for all of us: He was an amazing athlete (I played football with him on our championship team), he was active in almost every possible activity–including music, (which became my profession), and was always gentle and kind to every one. May God bless his family.
Our condolences to the family of Jim! Prayers for healing 🙏
Jim was one of my best friends at work. He was a soft spoken man of great kindness, intelligence, and empathy. I am deeply saddened by his passing and I will truly miss him. My sympathy goes out to Carol and family.
So sorry to hear of Jim’s passing
He was a Great friend, co-worker and mentor! May God welcome him with open arms!
This breaks my heart! Jim was such a sweet caring gentleman and will be missed by many. I have known him and Carol for many years as Carol was my teacher, but most recently I have helped with servicing their HVAC system since I work at RF Heating. He brought me flowers and chocolates and was always so appreciative for our services. I will miss him stopping into our office. My thoughts are with Carol and his family, I’m so sorry for your loss.
I am so sorry for your loss. Keeping all of you in my thoughts and prayers.
So sorry for your loss, Carol and family. Have great memories of Jim. A very fine man!!
Dear Carol and Family,
Ken and I are so sorry for the loss of Jim. He was such a kind, gentle, and helpful person. We will keep you and the family in our prayers! May God wrap you in His loving arms!
This is sad news indeed. Jim was one of my first co-workers at UWRF in Physical Plant in 1985 and was such a kind and positive person. I am privileged to have known him and Carol. My deepest sympathy to the family.
What a wonderful man he was !
My sincere condolences to his family.
So sorry to hear of Jim’s passing. He was such a good friend to Chuck. We will both miss him.
What a great guy. He will be missed!
Carol, Patrick, Meghan, and John just know you are in our thoughts. What a true gentleman that cared about family and friends. Find the joy of that inner peace through the many memories you will share.
Jim was a good man. I enjoyed our interactions and will miss his stories and jokes.
Julie and I are so sorry to hear of your loss Carol, Patrick, John and Meghan. He was probably the kindest, down to earth person I ever met. He was a great neighbor when we lived on Hazel street and my three daughters always looked up to him.
I will always remember his kindness and gentle soul. A pillar of our community
Carol and family…so very sorry for your loss…hugs and prayers your way
I’m so sorry to hear of Jim’s passing. He was such a a great asset for the university.
A true professional!!
He will be missed by all those he came in contact with
Rest in peace Jim.
Carol, Meghan, Patrick, and John,
Deeply sorry to hear of Jim’s passing. I will never forget his and your family’s kindness as a young parent. A true gentleman and friend to so many people. My heart is with your family. Many prayers for your comfort and peace.
Jim had retired from UW-River Falls Facilities Management before I started work here, but I can see the significant positive impact his planning and projects had on improvements to our campus facilities. He was well-respected here. Rest in Peace, Jim.
I work with Jim and Carol’s son, John, at UW River falls and have heard many great things about Jim’s work here on campus. I was actually looking through some things in our University Archives related to IT and happened upon a story from a student newspaper about a project Jim worked on to expand access to building for those with disabilities. He definitely left a legacy here at UWRF. My sincere condolences to Jim’s family and friends.
Dearest Carol, Patrick, John, and Meaghan,
I was so sad when Kathy contacted me about Jim’s passing. Jim, like all of his brothers and sisters was a kind and caring man. Carol, I always enjoyed his smile and having time to talk with both of you. May all of your good memories help you begin to adjust to his passing.
We are saddened to hear of Jim’s passing. He was such a kind, gentle soul and will be missed by all who knew him. May you find joy and comfort in your memories! God’s Blessings upon all of you during this difficult time.
Dear Carol, Patrick, John, Meghan, and Family, We were so sorry to hear about Jim. What a wonderful man through all the years we have known you and your family. We will miss seeing him out and about, catching his latest joke, and hearing about the grandkids. Heaven is richer for his presence – just as the world was with him here. Holding you in prayer.
Sorry to hear of Jim’s passing. He was a great colleague at the University, and a real man of integrity. Rest in peace, Jim.
Carol and family- So sorry to hear about Jim. He will be greatly missed in our community. Sending prayers and condolences to your family.
Jim hired me for my first surveying job when I was 16 years old. Due in large part to the example he set, I stayed with that career path and later graduated from UW Madison with a Civil Engineering degree, just like my mentor. We will miss your kindness, peace “James L”.
My deepest condolences to the family. I had the pleasure of first meeting Jim during the UWRF library renovation 30 years ago. His winning combination of kindness, selflessness, and quiet competence were inspirational to me. May he rest in peace.
We will never forget our times at American Players Theatre in Spring Green. Eating lunch or dinner in the woods, Jim telling stories then going up the hill to see a play. Always a good time to be had with Jim and Carol, and we never shared in their Putt-Putt grudge matches. He will be greatly missed and we will always remember our special times together. Good bye dear friend and cousin.
My condolences to you, Carol, and your family on Jim’s passing. It would be hard to find a nicer person than Jim. I worked with Jim at UWRF for 23 years. He was part engineer and part lawyer and was the “go to” person when it came to construction/contract law. Just an excellent person to work with.
I would share with you a brief poem by the Irish-American writer, J. P. Donleavy:
And when the channel comes
and you slip out on the grey and greeny white,
whisper to it and say,
“God loves me tonight.”
Rest in peace, Jim.
I was always in better spirits after any conversation with Jim. Your contagious smile will be missed by all.
Jim welcomed us to the Hazel Street neighborhood the day we moved in, and we have been blessed to have him as part of our lives. Mr. Murphy has left a legacy of good will and a caring heart in our family and community. We’ll miss his stories and his great smiles and friendly waves always.
How shocking to learn on St. Patrick’s Day that our friend of 62 years is no longer with us. We have never in all those years met a more gentle man – the model of integrity and civility. Rest in peace dear friend.
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