Mark S. Murphy, Sr.
PORTAGE - Mark S. Murphy, Sr. left us peacefully on Thursday, September 26th, 2024, at his home surrounded by his loving family, to go be with his wife, Tana, who left us not too long ago.
Mark was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on April 26th, 1948, to William R. and Patricia L. Murphy. He graduated from Lourdes Academy High School in Oshkosh in 1966. He briefly attended UW Oshkosh and then was drafted into the United States Army. He was stationed in Buedingen, Germany. While there, Mark was honored to be selected to The United States Army Color Guard and took part in many ceremonies and events over the several years he was deployed.
Once he returned home from overseas, he packed up his white 1966 Pontiac GTO convertible and headed west, ending up in Denver, CO. While in Colorado, he was tending bar and a beautiful brunette, named Tana, had asked him if he had any tricks to cure her hiccups, without skipping a beat, he responded, “that’s easy, you need to kiss a cute bartender, immediately!” The gal smirked and asked him to send the other bartender down her way… The rest is history. They were married on July 14th, 1973, in Denver. The two would later move to California where Mark Jr. was born and then in 1977, back home to Wisconsin, where Andrew was born. Christopher joined the family a year later. Mark and Tana just celebrated their 51st Anniversary this last July.
After moving to Portage, Mark started playing slow pitch softball, where he and Tana met many friends while spending many nights down at the ballfields. Black’s Furniture, Doc’s Bar, Winkel-Bauer Tap, O’Brien’s, The Fort Tavern, and The Friendly Tavern were all establishments that sponsored teams that he was part of. The family also spent many weekends at different ball tournaments around the area, creating even more friendships and making so many memories for the boys. Sky High weekend was always the highlight of the summer. He was one of the biggest Packer fans around! Mark never missed watching a Packer, Brewer, or Badger game on TV and was very thankful for the invention of the DVR. We learned early on to not talk about the game, since he may not have had a chance to watch it yet!
He was proud of his sons. He taught the boys how to ride and fix a flat tire on their bikes, jump start a car, change a tire, how to use starting fluid on a frigid Wisconsin morning, he taught us how to shovel, how to fix a screen and repair a broken window, and how to break in a new ball glove. He spent hours tossing the football, and played catch until those new ball gloves were ready to take on those little league fields! He showed us how to wash windows using vinegar and newspapers, how to build an ice rink, and how to mow the lawn, no matter time of day it was! Most importantly, he taught us how to be a patient and loving man. Mark wore many hats throughout his working days, never being too proud to try something new to help Tana support the boys. His biggest accomplishment and the thing that made him the proudest, was his sobriety. On August 1st, Mark celebrated 28 years of sober living. His faith and determination have been a powerful force throughout his journey over the last two and a half decades. We're so proud of him!
Mark is survived by his children, Mark S. Murphy, Jr., Andrew J. Murphy (Margaret Fichter), and Christopher W. Murphy; his siblings, Mike and Missy Murphy, West Palm Beach, FL, Dave and Lori Leitl, Cedarburg, WI; four nieces; ten nephews; and other family and many friends. Preceded in death by his wife, Tana K. Murphy; parents, William R. and Patricia L. Murphy; and nephew, Michael Leitl.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, October 4, 2024, at St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, 309 East Cook St., Portage, with Fr. Randy Timmerman officiating. Military Honors provided by the Portage Area Honor Guard. Visitation will be held at the church from 9:00 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. the day of the service.
The family would like to extend its deepest gratitude to all the wonderful folks at AA over the years, as well as the people who cared for Mark, especially Brianna and Stacy of Agrace Hospice.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Harbor Recovery Center, P.O. Box 803, Portage, WI, 53901, in Mark’s name.
Pflanz Mendrala Funeral Home in Portage is assisting the family.
