James Carroll Murphy

James C. Murphy, 82, of Punta Gorda, Florida formerly of Crystal Lake, Illinois resident from 1969 to 2004, died Wednesday, January 23, 2008 at Charlotte Regional Medical Center. Murphy was born in Pekin, Illinois, November 22, 1925, son of Thomas and Edna Murphy. Murphy and Mary Lou Peasley were married July 15, 1950 at Macomb, Illinois. After high school he served in the U.S. Navy during the final years of World War II, then entered the University of Illinois where he graduated in 1950 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. After working briefly on the family farm at Stronghurst he moved to Idaho in 1956 to form an Idaho insurance company. His career centered on the insurance industry to make automobile designs and collision repairs more efficient. He helped form highway safety regulations in cooperation with state legislators, traffic safety organizations, motor vehicle administrators and auto manufacturers. A major achievement occurred in 1975 when he appeared before the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to require new passenger cars to be equipped with bumpers capable of sustaining barrier crashes of 5 m.p.h. His career led to working with the auto and repair insurance industries to promote improved vehicle collision repairs by training body shop workers and insurance adjusters in new techniques to repair vehicles. In 1985 as vice president with Automatic Data Processing he helped develop an efficient way to estimate crash damage to automobiles so that computerized auto estimates were standardized throughout the industry. His career prompted letters of recognition from American Farm Bureau Federation, many state insurance offices and many Secretaries of State for his development of auto insurance and repair regulations. While living in Idaho as his family of five children were growing up he was active with the Parent Teacher Association in Pocatello. Skilled with his hands in woodworking and carpentry, he enjoyed making furniture as well as doing plumbing and electrical work. In Crystal Lake he applied his carpentry skills as a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity. A sailboat was his recreational center of enjoyment, starting first on Lake Geneva, then Lake Michigan and then with a large sailboat off the coast of Florida. One of his spirited adventures was to sail to Cuba in 1997 and 1999. After a brief challenge by the Cuban authorities, he and his companion were welcomed to Havana. He remembered, "They checked what we had on board and required us to dispose of our eggs which we quickly scrambled, ate, and went ashore." Survivors include: Five children, David (Cindi) Murphy of Rio Rancho, New Mexico; Sally Cunny of Carpentersville; Donald Murphy of Orlando, Florida; Susan Kirby (Mike) of McHenry; Carol Malmgren (Carl) of Urbana; and two brothers, Paul Murphy of Bedord, Indiana; and Miles Murphy of Paxinos, Pennsylvania; 14 grandchildren: Kellie Maffucci, Maria Burkhalter, Tom Murphy, Margaret Vladimirsky, James Cunny, Jillian Cunny, Daniel Cunny, Crystal Murphy, Michael Madden, Katrina Royce-Malmgren, Robert Royce-Malmgren, Erin Bernson, Sarah Royce-Malmgren, Mark Bernson; and six great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by is wife, Mary Lou in 2004 and his sister, Joyce Wolsted, Danville. Memorial Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Monday, January 28, 2008 at Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Catholic Church, Bokeelia, Florida. A memorial at Ridgefield-Crystal Lake Presbyterian Church in Illinois will follow in a few weeks. Memorials may be made to Habitat for Humanity of McHenry County, P.O. Box 1166, McHenry, Illinois, 60051-1166. To express condolences to the family, please sign the online guest book.