Malcolm V. Murphy

Oriskany - Malcolm V. Murphy, 89, of Cider St. affectionately known as "Mac", passed away after a battle with cancer on Friday, January 2, 2015. He was born in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia on October 5, 1925 to Herbert and Emma (Clarke) Murphy. During WWII "Mac" joined the Canadian Army where he was a scout and radio operator for a Heavy Artillery Battalion through France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Germany. Here he earned the British Commonwealth campaign medal the "France and Germany Star." While in the Army he met Canadian W.A.C. Frances M. Miller and was married on June 10, 1946 in Dorchester, New Brunswick. This was a blessed and loving union that endured for nearly 69 years. After becoming a bricklayer, he settled in central NY joining the Bricklayers Union local #2 and became a foreman for Gaetano Construction and later for Buck Construction, retiring in 1988. Mac was a member of the American Legion Post #229, Utica, AARP Rome chapter, Nature Conservancy-Central NY chapter, Kirkland Bird Club, Mohawk Valley Blue Grass Assoc. and International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craft workers where he was a union member for 50 years. His leisure time was spent enjoying the outdoors: wilderness camping, fishing, hunting, canoeing, boating, waterskiing, snorkeling, hiking, birding, snowmobiling and 4-wheeling. At 89 he did all of these including snorkeling in Delta Lake looking for a lost phone and hiking his boy hood trails in Nova Scotia in September. With the truck camper packed and a canoe on top they traveled and explored all 50 states. Nature tours took him all over the world including traveling down the Amazon River and sleeping in the jungle. In addition to his wife, Frances, Malcolm is survived by one daughter and son in law, Audrey (James) Mihalko of Boonville, NY; two sons and a daughter in law, Robert (Wendy) Murphy of Clarksville, VA and Russell Murphy of Oriskany, NY, six grand-children Tammy Cooper, VA; Shawn Murphy, VA; Randall Mihalko, OR; Geoff Mihalko, OR; Brian Mihalko, CA; Jaime Mihalko, NC and 8 great grand-children: Sarah, Megan, Murphy, Madeline, Grayson, Weston, Ashlyn and Amelia. He is also survived by his sister Marjorie Deming of Yarmouth, NS. and Eleanor Trefry of Kings County, NS. He was predeceased by his parents Herbert and Emma Murphy and brother and sisters: Glena King, NS; George Murphy, BC; Kathryn Hallett, NS; Janet Watkins,; Albert Murphy, NS; and Jim Murphy, ONT. There is no service or calling hours. In lieu of flowers donations, may be made to the Oriskany Fire Dept.