Helen Elizabeth (Betty) Dickenson Murphy, 89, passed away Sunday, June 12, 2016 at St. Catherine’s Center in Waco, Texas. A Burial Mass service will be hosted by Christ Church (Anglican) in Waco, Texas on Saturday, June 25 @ 4 pm at Waco Baptist Academy, 6125 Bosque Boulevard.
Betty was born November 22, 1926 to John and Helen Dickenson in El Paso, Texas. Her paternal grandmother, “Gammer”, stoked her love of learning and introduced her to the church. Girl Scouts were another love and led to exploring the Lincoln National Forest and Cloudcroft, New Mexico. An exceptional student, she graduated from high school at age 16, having led scrap metal drives and a Victory garden to help WWII efforts. She began her studies at Texas Western University, but her desire to pursue a degree in Social Work led to Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.
Her desire to serve others and love of God came in the personification of her future husband, Stanton Patrick Murphy, an Episcopal seminary student. At a social for her sorority and the seminary students, her friends commented on one particularly handsome attendee, Betty said, “Well, I would never marry a minister, much less THAT ONE!” Needless to say, God had other plans and they were married in 1948.
Father Pat and Betty’s joint ministry began in Hamilton, Texas in 1949 where their two daughters, Kathy and Mary were born. Betty was happiest in the background of the church life, as she assisted in Sunday School, altar guild and sang in the choir, but her true joy was to be in the nursery.
A short detour in Ripon, Wisconsin, gave her a son, Patrick, but they returned to Garland in 1955, never to leave Texas again. Another son, Michael, was added to the family, which moved to Houston in 1961 to St. Barnabas church. For the next thirty years, she raised four children and supported her husband as he built a new church building and started a parish school. In her “spare time”, she taught Spanish as a long term substitute in the Pasadena school district for several years.
Her love of education and service to others resulted in her Masters of Social Work from University of Texas in 1971 and her service spread in the community. She loved her work at the San Jacinto Lung Association to help curb the dangers of smoking and other projects community and state wide. But her true passion blossomed with the opportunity to begin the University of Texas Medical School in Houston. She was the first registrar and the most memorable for countless future physicians.
Combining her keen organizational skills with her never-ending love of the underdog, she became the “human touch” of the incredibly competitive world of medical school. Known for her huge jar of cookies found on her desk, the students would gravitate to her office, where they could find places to live, work for their spouses and a shoulder to lean (or cry) on. From 1975-1988, she would memorize the names and faces on all new students and greet them on the first day with encyclical knowledge of their family, interests and concerns. As a member of the admissions committee, she was THE voice for those with not only educational skills, but deeply committed hearts of service as well.
When she retired in 1988, she was known fondly as “Mom Murphy”, and a scholarship was created in her honor, which exists to this day. She cherished many at the Medical School, but Deans Tuttle and Ribble were fondly remembered by her.
From then until 2013, she assisted once again with her husband’s ministry – this time with the Episcopal Missionary Church, an outreach to traditional Anglicans. Starting in the Houston area, it expanded to include regional and national duties as well. Father Pat had been consecrated Bishop Murphy in 1994 and work began to plant a church in the Houston area. Much work, sweat and tears culminated in the Church of St. Peter’s Christmas mass 2003. The church has relocated to Cypress, Texas and the parish hall is named in honor of her husband. It is estimated she taught Sunday School for over 60 years. Sewing was one of her few hobbies that also served her well as many of the Murphy children’s clothes were made by her.
Betty’s health declined after her husband’s death in 2009 and she moved into senior living facilities for assistance. Even then, she became the defender of those she lived with whom she felt were neglected or not receiving the best care possible.
Her husband passed away in 2009 and elder daughter Kathleen in 2014. She is survived by her sister Genevieve Sewell of Phoenix, AZ, daughter Mary Loots and husband Rick of Rogers, AR, son Patrick Murphy and wife Janet of Waco, TX, son Michael Murphy and wife Susan of Houston, TX. Her grandchildren are Eli Loots and his wife Gabby of Oakland, CA, Jarrett Loots and Martha Kahuga of Tacoma, WA, Sarah Murphy Traylor and husband Jack of Houston, TX, David Murphy of Fort Worth, TX, Amy Murphy of Washington, DC, Matt and Kevin Murphy of Houston, TX. Great grandkids are Kara and Aidan Loots of Oakland, CA.
In lieu of flowers, the family encourages you to donate to the Betty Murphy Student Scholarship by mail to UT Health, Office of Development, P. O. Box 1321 Houston, TX 77251-1321 or online at https://giving.uth.edu/pages/schools/medical_school/dean-excellence-fund. You may also give to your local animal shelter, the Girl Scouts of America, your public library or the church of your choice.