William R. Murphy returned from World War II with four Bronze Stars and a heavy heart. “He had to see a lot of his men die, and that was hard for him when he was a civilian,” said his daughter Cathleen Johnson. A sergeant from 1941 to 1945, Mr. Murphy saw action in the Philippines and elsewhere in the Pacific theater. Mr. Murphy, 86, died of congestive heart failure Monday, Feb. 16, in his home in Park Ridge, where he lived for 45 years. Born and raised in Chicago, he was a caddie as a youth. “Like most other families at that time, he contributed to support his family,” his daughter said. A 1936 graduate of Foreman High School, Mr. Murphy met his wife, Florence, at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, where she was out on a date with his brother. They married in 1947. He worked various jobs before starting his own company, Courtesy Neon Sales Inc., in Chicago, in the early 1950s. He sold his business and retired in the late 1980s, but continued to dabble as a broker for collectible signs, such as neon beer signs and antiques. His wife died in January. In addition to his daughter, other survivors include two sons, William J. and Bryant; another daughter, Maureen; a brother, Martin; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. A memorial service was held.
