SUSAN MARIE SAMFORD MURPHY
July 31, 1943 – November 25, 2021
Susan Marie Samford Murphy, 78, a resident of Greenville for 46 years, passed away peacefully on November 25, 2021 at East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika. She was born July 31, 1943 in Birmingham.
Visitation was held at Walnut Street Church of Christ Monday, Nov. 29, from 1 -2 p.m. Funeral service began shortly thereafter with burial following at Magnolia Cemetery. Minister Charles Box officiated with Dunklin Funeral Home directing.
She is survived by her daughter, Jean Marie Murphy Coker (Greg); son, John Darryl Murphy, Jr. (Kim), granddaughters, Amanda Marie Coker Morgan (Chris) and Kailey Ann Murphy; and grandsons, Michael Gregory Coker and John Dalton Murphy.
She was preceded in death by her beloved parents, Crawford Alexander Lipscomb Samford, Jr. and Leola Marie Kennedy Samford.
Also preceding her in death was her husband, John Darryl Murphy, Sr. Susan will rest beside him.
After Susan spent the first 3 ½ years in six different foster homes, she was chosen to be in the Samford-Kennedy family and considered it a privilege, joy, honor and blessing.
Later in life, she would write a book, “I Was Chosen: a loving story of adoption,” in which she would tell her story of adoption to help others thinking of becoming foster parents or adopting and to let children know they were not the only ones in the world that were chosen and they also have a story to tell.
Before her husband, John, passed in a tragic accident, she took care of her family and her parents.
After the accident, she served on the City Council (District 1), Butler County Quality Assurance Team (DHR), Safe Harbor (Children Advocacy Center) Board, L.V. Stabler Memorial Hospital Board (2015-2018), Colonial Bank Board, Pre-trial Diversion Advisory Committee, and the Greenville YMCA Board and Remodeling committee. She was named the YMCA Volunteer of Year for 2020.
Susan was also involved in numerous civic groups including SouthernCare Hospice, United Fund of Butler County, Kiwanis of Greenville, and Camellia City Civitan Club. She also created and organized the Foster Parent Banquet for several years.
Susan always made time to take on a project if it helped people and Greenville. She loved her children dearly and believed she had a perfect life and would not have changed one second of it. She will certainly be missed not only by her family but from everyone that knew her!