Family man a local friend

RAY Murphy was a true family man who went out of his way to helpothers.
The communityminded Pakenham local loved camping, fishing, sailing, and was a proud life member of the Nar Nar Goon Football Club.
But most of all he loved his family, and always had time for others whether it was someone he had known for years or someone he had just met on the street.
Ray died suddenly of a heart attack on Wednesday, 11 January at his Pakenham home, aged 57.
Ray was born in Beaudesert, Queensland on 24 May, 1948 and was one of eight brothers and sisters in a large loving family, the fourth child of Noel and Myrtle Murphy.
He spent his childhood on a country farm in Running Creek before his family moved to town in Beaudesert.
It was after driving to Victoria with four mates and settling in Kooweerup for the spud season that Ray met his wife, Dot.
After Dot spied the Queenslander at the pool and Ray finally got the guts up to ask her out, the pair were inseparable and after a short courtship were married on 19 October, 1968.
The couple had three children, Brett, Scott and Michelle, and welcomed with open arms their partners, Karen, Janiene and Andrew.
The family grew with the arrival of seven grandchildren, Alanah, 7, Jessica, 5, Jemma, 4, Daniel, 2, Mason, 2, Tahj, 1, and Maddison, eight weeks.
Ray worked all of his life, including jobs at Nestle, Hutmill, Pakenham Export Abattoir as a butcher, and for the last few years as a storeman at Safeway. Son Scott said Ray enjoyed work, mostly for the mateship and talking to people.
“He’d go to a garage sale and stand talking to them for half an hour,” Scott said.
He was a former head trainer of the Nar Nar Goon Football Club, volunteer at Red Cross and for the Pakenham Fire Brigade and heavily involved within the community. He was involved, at various times, with the Pakenham Auto Club, Pakenham Little Athletics, Pakenham Kindergarten, Neighbourhood Watch, Pakenham Masonic Lodge, Pakenham Pool and Pakenham Residents and Ratepayers Association.
Son Brett described his dad as a real community person who always putothers first.
“He befriended people from all walks of life,” Brett said. He said when Ray had a mild heart attack last year he spent the whole time in hospital trying to get a vet up to his property to check on a sick kangaroo.
“He never worried about himself, only other people.”
Ray’s family said he would be remembered for his good advice, his willingness to help out, for being a great husband and helping create such aloving, caring family.
At the funeral, Scott said: “I have always been very proud and honoured that you are our Dad and hope that I can pass on all your good values to ourchildren.
“Words cannot describe the loss that we feel.”
Ray’s funeral, a celebration of his life, was held at David Bull Funeral Home in Pakenham on Monday, 16 January and attended by about 500 people.
A touching eulogy was read by family friend Marlene Farrell.
Ray’s children Brett, Scott and Michelle also spoke, as well as a several others, including his wife Dot.
The procession then moved to the Nar Nar Goon Football Club for the after service. Ray’s family said they had been overwhelmed by the expressions of support, well wishes and kind thoughts from the community, friends and family.