Marty, as she was affectionately known to most, passed away suddenly on Friday, April 11. She is survived by her loving husband Tom of 44 years, and loving daughter Roxanne Beebe, and many dear friends. She was preceded by her very dear, loving daughter, Penny, in 1969.
She had several unwavering passions in her long life, beginning with her love of classical music and her place as a violinist in the pre-WWII San Diego Symphony Orchestra. Her second passion was Flamenco, and she performed occasionally as a skilled Spanish dancer during the 1950s. Photography was a simultaneous passion then, and she spent many hours on assignment or freelancing for a local newspaper in Southern California with her trusty Leica. In the early ’60s, the new Murphy family moved to the Skyline area of the Peninsula. Soon, Marty’s newest passion started to bloom in her beautiful environment — bird watching, and all aspects of the natural world. She addressed the issues of the day, such as the dire effects of pesticides and over-development, with a strong-willed sense of purpose, becoming a dynamic spokesperson for species such as the Barn Owl, Great Blue Heron, Monarch Butterfly and birds of prey. From the mid-1970s through the mid-80s, Marty and Tom lived in the Pacific Northwest, and they both became active hikers, skiers and golfers. She immersed herself in environmental impact statements, and that information, coupled with her knowledge of many species’ habitats, challenged many a developer. She received the East Lake Washington Audubon Society Environmental Award and a Certificate of Appreciation from the Washington Department of Wildlife in 1985. She experienced both success and failure in saving wetlands and numerous species from over-development.
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