Paul Murphy

Paul Brian Murphy, age 61, of Galena, Illinois, died on Tuesday, October 28, 2014 at Midwest Medical Center, Galena. A funeral service will be held at 12:00 noon, on Saturday, November 1, 2014 at St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church, Elizabeth. A visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. prior to the service at the church. A private burial will take place in Grant Hill Cemetery, Galena. A Paul Murphy Memorial Fund has been established at the First Community Bank of Galena.
Paul was born on May 23, 1953, to Walter and Betty (Czosek) Murphy in Chicago, Illinois. He graduated from Carmel High School in Mundelein. He grew up and lived in Spring Grove, Illinois until moving to Galena 20 years ago, where he married Lori Bode on May 20, 1994.
Paul owned and operated Murphy’s Home Maintenance and Murphy’s Gardens for 20 years. He was a member of St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Elizabeth. He loved animals, gardening and going fishing “up north”. He was a lifelong musician, most recently playing bass in the band, OUTTA CONTROL, a voracious reader, history buff and a handyman extraordinaire. Paul loved playing golf. Most of all, Paul was a loving husband and father.
Paul will be dearly missed by his wife of 20 years, Lori; one son, Kyle Murphy of Galena; one daughter, Tonia Murphy (James) Wesseling of Spring Grove; two grandchildren, Chance and Hallie; seven siblings, Kathi (Dan) Murphy, Karen (Mark) Niederkorn, Tim (Lisa) Murphy, Mike Murphy, Peg (Dean) Menos, John (Alice) Murphy and Eileen Murphy, and many nieces, nephews and close friends. Paul is preceded in death by his parents, Walter and Betty.
“You were our rock, our glue, our provider—the calm in the storm. You have left a huge void. We will love and miss you forever.”