Murphy, Mary
MURPHY, Mary
Mary Helen Atkins Murphy (Mrs. Ralph A.) of Atlanta died on February 15, 2023. Known as "Jerry" by family and friends, she was born in 1926 to Allie Tom (Wright) and Robert O'Keefe Atkins in Heflin, AL. She studied zoology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, graduating in 1947. She was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority and was inducted into the Order of the Valkyries, an honorary society recognizing "the extraordinary contributions of university women."
She worked at Emory University before marrying Dr. Ralph Alton Murphy, Jr. in 1949. Following his medical internship and military service, they settled in Atlanta where they were members of Peachtree Road Methodist Church. His death in 2004 came after they celebrated 55 years of happy marriage.
Among her civic activities were service in the women's auxiliaries of the Atlanta Symphony and the Fulton County Medical Society. She was an avid golfer, a member of the Women's Golf Associations of Atlanta and the Cherokee Country Club. She competed (and often won!) in numerous tournaments, playing into her 80s.
Among her survivors are her sisters: Jane Atkins McDade (Atlanta) and Sarah (Sally) Atkins Feuerlein (Birmingham, AL); her four children: Carol Murphy Hubbard (Asheville, NC), Jane Murphy Simon (Atlanta), Susan Atkins Murphy (Atlanta) and Robert Wright Murphy (Atlanta); nine grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
The family wishes to thank the staff of Kadan Homecare and Longleaf Hospice for their compassionate care.
A private burial service will be held in Heflin, AL.
