Kevin was the 4th of 5 children. He was born on his brother Mike’s birthday which did not please Mike who was 4 at the time. Kevin was known as big foot as a toddler: I personally think this was because he never wore shoes! I can still see his brown feet running about all over the place with no hesitation of rocks or heat. He did however develop an allergy to bees which would make his feet about twice the normal size!
When Kevin started Kindergarten we were still living on West White Street. However he really did not like school and would leave at the earliest possible opportunity! Yes he was leaving school to play hooky! I do remember one time he could not be be found between school and home only to be located sound asleep in the bushes at home. When we moved to the country he had to be carried to the bus and forced to go to school!
Kevin did manage to grow into a teenager and met Melissa. Melissa had a wonderful and normal family that lived close to the Junior High. They provided him with what he didn’t have at home. Normal life and examples as how families are supposed to interact is how Kevin learned to become the man he is today.
He was also quite attached to our grandmother who hung all of his art work in her house – she was always so proud and he was quite the artist. He started to follow her around the kitchen at a very young age! He is the only one of all of us that has her skills in the kitchen. He can cook her dumplings, make bread and pies that make your mouth water just thinking about them. It is just something that he can recreate those dishes and memories. He is amazing in the kitchen. He also can make home made egg noodles for vegetable soup. When you walk into his house and he is cooking the smells take me back 50 or 60 years. Oh my-where has the time gone? Kevin has continued with his art: he illustrates and writes a book for his grandchildren every year. They could be published and sold but he only does it for the love of his grandkids.
Kevin joined the Airforce after high school and married Melissa not too long after that: naturally on St Patrick’s Day as it should be for a Murphy. He had a successful stint in the Airforce and after that started a career in the Federal Prison System. Through his abilities, drive and hard work he quickly went from a Blue Collar worker to a White Collar executive.
Kevin and Melissa have 2 beautiful grown children and 2 grandchildren. I will say that he is the only one of my siblings not to have experienced divorce. He and Melissa have worked through the good times and the bad times and the hard times to make it work! They should be applauded!
Another fun memory is how long he could sleep as teenager. There were times he would literally sleep from Friday night until Sunday night! It was crazy especially as now I know he rises early to read or write or work on illustrations. Or he might just be thinking about a new project. His mind is always busy.
He has a lot of passion. In so many ways he and I are a lot alike. This probably created friction between the 2 of us when we were younger. However as time has aged our memories we have developed a deep respect and love for each other.
I’ll never forget December 31, 1976 when Kevin came home after watching our mother die and tossed our entire Christmas tree in the front yard, decorations and all. My biggest hope for him is that he never has to experience that much pain ever again.
I am very proud of the man, father, husband and grandfather you have become but also the brother you are.