John Carl Murphy

John was born on March 18, 1966, in Royal Oak, Michigan, and grew up in the Detroit metropolitan area alongside his younger brother and his large extended Murphy family.  Later, John moved with his mother and brother first to Virginia and then to Florida.

In high school, John discovered his love of music, learned to play the guitar, and began performing in bands. One of his favorite claims to fame was that he attended the same high school as Tom Petty. Although his dream at the time was to become a rock star, growing up with two English professor parents convinced him that college was still a worthwhile pursuit.

In 1986, John met his love, Donna, after his band placed an advertisement in the University of Florida newspaper seeking a vocalist. Their shared love of music became the foundation of a remarkable partnership that lasted four decades. Together, they performed in the Murphy family band and, following the pandemic, formed a classic rock cover band.

One of John's favorite stories was how the Beastie Boys inadvertently influenced the course of his life. He joked that when they became hugely successful, he decided the music industry was simply too unpredictable and chose to pursue graduate school instead of a music career.  His family is very thankful for that decision.

In 1994, after earning his MBA from the University of Michigan, John and Donna married and relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area. They made their home in Mountain View, where they raised their three children.

John built a successful career in finance in the Silicon Valley, working from 1994 until his retirement in 2025. During those years, he held positions at Tandem Computers, Cisco Systems, Avaya, and, finally, Veritas Technologies.

John will be remembered as a devoted husband and father, a loyal friend, a respected colleague, a dedicated coach, and a gifted musician. Endlessly optimistic, he was never afraid to "go for it" and truly believed that anything was possible. He was an avid reader, known for his quick wit and dry sense of humor. He loved cheering on the Florida Gators and the San Francisco Giants and devoted many hours to coaching his children's Pony Baseball and MVLAGS softball teams. He also enjoyed playing chess and skiing, but music remained his lifelong passion.

John is survived by his wife of 32 years, Donna (Ryder) Murphy; children Megan, Derek and Christopher (C.J.) Murphy; mother Rosalie (Ficker) Baum, father Brian Murphy, step-mother Antonia Sanchez-Murphy; sister Lauren Sanchez-Murphy and her husband Bill Kozlowski.  He is preceded in death by his brother Mark Murphy, who passed in 2000.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you honor John's memory by participating in a Relay For Life event or making a donation to the cancer research organization of your choice.