By PSCA President Jim Carnal
Longtime resident and former board member Ted Murphy, 89, passed away peacefully surrounded by friends and family on Sunday, reported his friend and neighbor John Prince Sr.
Murphy was best known publicly as a founding member of CALM, the California Living Museum, and the founder and director of FACT, the Facility for Animal Care and Treatment, at California State University, Bakersfield. Now defunct, the facility located in an oasis in the southeast corner of the campus, treated injured animals and birds, particularly raptors. Healed animals were released back into the wild. Others often ended up at CALM. Built from scratch in 1975, FACT was famous for its public tours and annual barbecue.
I remember Ted as a friend, mentor and neighbor. He was soft spoken and kind with a giant intellect that contrasted his diminutive size. He was a steady voice of reason on the Park Stockdale Civic Association board of directors, as I’m sure he was at CSUB, where he was a popular biology professor. He was the kind of teacher who students stayed in touch with decades later.
On his last day, Murphy “had a great afternoon at home,” Prince said. “He had been begging to go home (from the hospital) for a week. When he got home, he had a lot of friends that came over. He was very happy. Someone gave him a taste of Crown Royal. He gave hugs and kisses. It was a good day for him and everyone.”
I remember our breakfasts that he would initiate to get a peek into each other’s world back when I was a reporter at The Bakersfield Californian. But the memory that is imprinted on me is the last time I saw him on March 22.
It was nine weeks ago at a celebration of life for the love of his life, his wife of 61 years, his North Carolina high school sweetheart, Peggy Sue, 86.
It was a beautiful event at the First Congregation Church where he was surrounded by their friends and family. Ted led a saunter down Memory Lane. He told love stories and family stories and work stories, a family life anchored by a love of animals and filled with outdoor adventures that seemed larger than life. He included everyone by asking them to take the microphone and share their memories. The event lasted for hours and Ted seemingly never wanted it to end. It was a culmination of his wife’s life. And of his.
Sixty-four days later they reunited.
Ted and Peggy are survived by their son, Martin Brooks Murphy.
Ted with his wife and their son.