John Jacob Murphy Jr.

After a short illness, John Jacob Murphy, Jr of Doylestown, Pennsylvania, entered into eternal rest on April 28, 2026. He is survived by his wife Betty (Buchanan), sons John and David, daughter-in-law Catherine, grandchildren Nathaniel and Nora, and extended family through brother-in-law and sister-in-law Buck and Cindy Buchanan. He was 85 years old.

The only child of John Jacob Murphy and Christine Victoria Murphy, he was born on December 1, 1940 in Nashville, Tennessee. Subsequently, his father inherited a farm in Lebanon, Tennessee and moved the family there when young John was 6 years old. John would spend his formative years rising early to work on the farm, attending school, and continuing his labors in the evening. While farm life gave him a prodigious work ethic, it also inspired him to look beyond the limited potential of middle Tennessee’s rocky soil. As a high school senior he was nominated to the Air Force Academy by Senator Albert Gore, Sr, but ultimately not admitted. This setback proved to be a blessing in disguise, as he set his mind to study mechanical engineering, first at Middle Tennessee State College, and later at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. College life in Knoxville led to two life transformations, first developing a deep passion for Big Orange athletics, and more importantly in meeting Betty Buchanan on a blind date. They would marry in December 1963 and see 62 anniversaries together.

John’s early engineering career would find him working at several different companies, most notably Brown Engineering, where he would contribute to the telemetry sensors of the Saturn V rocket that would put a man on the moon. Eventually, John made his way to the Yarway Corporation, which specialized in steam traps and valves used in high temperature applications such as power plants and factories. John rapidly rose through the sales ranks at Yarway, relocating several times with his young family. A major promotion would bring the Murphys to Pennsylvania and to Yarway’s headquarters in Blue Bell. John’s excellent work as Vice President of Sales propelled the company’s growth and made Yarway an enticing acquisition target. John continued in senior leadership roles as Yarway became a subsidiary of larger conglomerates. During his Yarway tenure, John traveled to four continents, opening markets in places such as China and former Eastern bloc countries.

While John’s success in business is attributed to his tireless energy and hard work, he was also known for honesty and integrity in all his dealings, professional and personal. He treated people fairly and kept his promises.

As a young man, John developed a passion for golf, joining country clubs wherever he lived, and becoming an excellent amateur player, with several holes-in-one to his credit. When he wasn’t on the links he was probably catching the Tennessee Vols or a golf tournament on TV, but he also made time to watch and coach his sons in various sports. In his later years, he enjoyed visits from his sons and grandchildren, often chatting late into the night.

John took advantage of the opportunities that he was given and lived a blessed life. Those blessings now continue in his family by whom John was dearly loved. He will be missed.

Funeral services to be held in Chattanooga Tennessee on Saturday, May 9 at Lane Funeral Home, Coulter Chapel at 11 AM, with burial at Chattanooga Memorial Park to follow. The service will be preceded by visitation with the family at 10 AM. 

In lieu of flowers, please donate either to the University of Tennessee scholarship fund (https://giving.utk.edu/scholarships), or the charity of your choice.