Loretta Dawn Murphy

Loretta Dawn Murphy went home to Jesus on October 5, 2020, at age 70.

Dawn (Loretta to close family) was born to William Henry Davison, Sr. and Beulah Mae Davison on May 3, 1950, in Livingston County, Kentucky. As a child, Dawn loved to read, spend time on the farm with her siblings, and dream of things to create.

Dawn met her husband, James Murphy, in 1968 at the NCO Club in Quantico, Virginia. She was fresh out of high school looking for adventure, and Jim was a handsome marine in uniform. They fell in love and married April 18, 1969. After their firstborn son, David James, arrived in 1970, they moved back to Jim’s home state of Oklahoma. Their second-born son, Kevin Andrew, arrived in 1972.

In addition to being a dedicated and loving mother and wife, Dawn loved writing poems and stories, shopping garage sales (much to Jim’s chagrin), gardening, and staying actively involved at their home church of Portland Avenue Baptist where she sang in the choir and, with Jim, taught first-grade Sunday School. Her favorite pastime was spoiling her 4 grandchildren – Josiah, Katey, Kidist, and Nathanael.

Loretta Dawn is preceded in death by her parents, William Henry Davison, Sr. and Beulah Mae Davison and 5 siblings, Harve Cleveland Davison, Marjorie Mae Thomas, William Henry Davison, Jr., Roy Francis Davison, Elizabeth Maxine Faulkner, 2 nephews, and 1 niece.

She is survived by her adoring husband of 51 years, James E. Murphy of Oklahoma City, OK; 2 sons, David Murphy (Michelle) of Oklahoma City, OK, and Kevin Murphy (Carla) of Yukon, OK; 4 grandchildren; 6 siblings, Grover Davison of Dover, NH; Ed Davison of Purdy, MO; Patricia Klempke of Paducah, KY; Louise Morse (Mike) of Bowling Green, KY; Gail Redmond (Clair) of Metropolis, IL; Mike Davison (Regina) of Calvert City, KY; 1 brother-in-law, Ted Thomas of Princeton, KY; and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and great nieces and nephews.

Loretta Dawn Murphy’s Memorial Celebration will be held on Monday, October 19, 2020, at 11:30 a.m. Pastor Walter Mullican is officiating at Portland Avenue Baptist Church, 1301 N. Portland Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73107.