Sheldon Rowley Murphy's Obituary
Sheldon Rowley Murphy
1935 - 2016
Sheldon Rowley Murphy, 81, passed away peacefully in his sleep Saturday, October 15, 2016 at his home.
A “Celebration of Life” service will be held at 3:00 pm, preceded by a visitation opportunity from 1:00-2:15 pm, at the LDS chapel at 1200 North and 800 East in Orem, UT. A short graveside service will be held immediately following the funeral at the Spanish Fork Cemetery.
Sheldon was a devoted and caring husband, father, son, brother, grandfather and great grandfather. He was the second of three children, born July 17, 1935 in Chinook, Montana to Bert Lund and Verda May Rowley Murphy. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Norma LaWynn Potter Murphy; his sister and brother-in-law, Virginia and Burton Carter, and sister-in-law, Joyce Murphy; his five children, Shalynn Sedgwick, Brian Potter Murphy, Blake Potter Murphy, Klane Potter Murphy, and LaDawn Stone; twenty four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, and his brother Bert Murphy.
Sheldon served in the Brazil Mission (1955-1958) of the LDS Church. Upon returning, he married Norma LaWynn Potter in the Idaho Falls, ID LDS Temple. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering (1961) and received his PhD in Chemical Engineering from the U of U. He worked in industry for 18 years, ran a small technical consulting company for 5 years, and owned an enzyme products company for 17 years. Since retirement in 2007, he has authored ten books.
Sheldon lived his life sharing his bold and unwavering testimony of the Savior. He loved serving his 81 years in a variety of callings, with a highlight of serving, with LaWynn, as Mission President of the Campinas Brazil Mission (1989-1992) and working with the missionaries that served under him.
In recent years, Sheldon struggled with effects of a stroke, and more recently cardiovascular disease which greatly affected his comfort and quality of life. We consider it a blessing for him to be free from his mortal body, be part of a joyous reunion with loved ones, and spend this time being anxiously engaged in the Lord’s work on the other side. We love him, will miss his funny sense of humor, all the advice he had for us, the many interesting projects he created, and the fascinating insights into our family history which he avidly researched. But, we know we will be together again, and we will live in his honor and memory.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the LDS Church Missionary Fund at https://www.ldsphilanthropies.org/donations/lds-church/missionary-fund.html?cde2=807.
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