John Robert Murphey, or more commonly known as Bob or Murph, was born in Helena, Mont., on July 19, 1943, and was the only child of Elizabeth and John Murphey.
Bob’s dad was training with the 1st Special Service Force in Helena when he met Bob’s mom. His dad made the ultimate sacrifice and died in WWII when Bob was just an infant.
Bob grew up in East Helena, living mainly with his grandparents Tom and Vlasta Bozdech, who were homesteaders from Chicago. He grew up in a farm/ranch environment, where he learned to work the fields and tend to the animals at a very early age. It was that upbringing that led to his love of working with his hands and ultimately led to a lifelong career at Lewiston High School as an industrial arts teacher.
He attended grade school in a two-room school in East Helena and attended Cathedral High School, graduating in 1961. Athletics were a big part of his life. He lettered in three sports for four years and was co-captain of the football team for two years. Bob continued his love for sports at Montana State, where he was recruited to play football for the Bobcats.
In 1963, Bob married the love of his life, Jeaneen Sado, and continued his college education at Northern Montana College in Havre. He graduated in 1967 with his Bachelor of Science degree with a major in industrial education and physical education. During college, he spent his summers packing horses for the U.S. Forest Service in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area.
In the summer of 1964, Bob and Jeaneen’s first son came into the world. Bob was notified in the backcountry that his wife was in labor. He rode his horse half the night and drove over the Continental Divide arriving just in time for Troy’s birth in Helena. He took a polaroid picture with his new son and headed back into the woods, taping the picture to his saddle horn. In 1967, Todd Patrick was born in Helena. It was a great joy for him to have two sons. The following year, Bob accepted a teaching and coaching position in Lewiston. In 1971, Bob and Jeaneen were blessed with a beautiful little girl, Amy Markay.
During Bob’s tenure at Lewiston High School, he coached several sports and served as the head golf and wrestling coach for many years. He considered and treated his young athletes like family and was proud to never have a losing season. On the vocational side, Bob and two other teachers were instrumental in designing the new Industrial and Creative Arts Building and the introduction of the Occupational Versatility program. He was also very proud to develop a first-rate bronze casting foundry on campus and took great pride in the many students that became excellent sculptors. He later authored a book on the foundry process. Bob loved teaching, and all his students felt welcomed and cared for in his classroom. He was never known as Mr. Murphey; it was always “Murph.”
The summers during his teaching years were spent on everything from clubhouse boy and bus driver for the Lewiston Broncs baseball teams to working for various contractors and ultimately starting his own concrete business. He loved the mountains and spent any free time hunting for bighorn sheep, mountain goats and elk. His fondest memories of the outdoors were bugling in Todd’s first bull elk, rafting with Troy, floating the Salmon River with Amy in his handmade dory and a seven-day float on the Salmon with Jeaneen and a pack of great friends. Bob always said if he died tomorrow, he had lived the life of many men.
Bob received many awards during his life. He was the district and region wrestling and golf coach of the year several times and state golf coach of the year twice. He was voted teacher of the year for the American Industrial Arts Association in 1975 and Lewiston teacher of the year in 2000. He was recognized by the Idaho Big Game Trophy Club for taking a mountain goat with a recurve bow and was the 1988 club champion at Bryden Canyon golf course. He held many leadership roles, including serving as the president of the Idaho State Industrial Arts Association, president of the Idaho State Wrestling Coaches Association and was a guest lecturer at the American Industrial Arts Association.
The latter years were spent with the love of his life, who was diagnosed with fibromyalgia when she was 50. Together they tackled the pain and suffering she has endured. He rarely left her side with unwavering love, other than a quick 18 holes at the course or occasional day trip to the woods.
Bob leaves this world watching from a mountain top high in the sky, hoping that he made a difference in the lives he touched, laughter he created and his love for everyone. He is survived by his wife, Jeaneen, his son Troy (daughter-in-law Lisa), his son Todd (daughter-in-law Sandy), his daughter, Amy, his grandkids (Kate, John, Sierra, Kyle, Conner) and three great-grandchildren.
Our entire family would like to thank everyone for the outpouring of love and support during this very difficult time. A celebration of life will be held in April.
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