PAUL MURPHY

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PAUL MURPHY Paul Murphy died August 13, 2002. He was predeceased by wife Rene; sister Joan; and brothers, Gerald and Harold. Paul was an above-average athlete, having captained the Amherst St. Pats who dominated Maritime junior baseball and hockey in the mid-30s. He subsequently played for the St. John Beavers and attended the Boston Bruins training camp. When war started he enlisted in the R.C.A.F. and in 1940 received his Wings in the first graduation class at Dauphin. He served as a fighter pilot for five years, flying spitfires in Britain with the R.C.A.F. and Hurricanes with the R.A.F. in the Western Desert. While travelling to England from the Desert in 1943, he was one of the few survivors from the Empress of Canada torpedoing. He returned to Canada in 1944 as an instructor in Greenwood and Bagotville. Following the war he attended university at St. Francois Xavier and Dalhousie. Paul was a Manitoban by choice, returning to Winnipeg in 1952 when he was hired in the dual capacity of Executive Director of the Manitoba Wildlife Federation and Managing Editor of Wildlife Crusader. He served in the jobs for 30 years. The Federation prospered, growing to 130 affiliates from Churchill to our U.S. border. He was actively involved with Junior Rifle training, Wild Gobblers and Big Game Trophy. Among his accomplishments was the founding of the Canadian Wildlife Federation and he accepted their first Honourable Life Membership in 1970. Wildlife Crusader flourished under his direction and he received recognition from St. Boniface, Nova Scotia, Minnesota, Arizona, Kentucky, Nebraska and North American Sportswriters for his conservation editorials. In Manitoba he was one of our first "Golden Boys" and was made a Scout in the Order of the Buffalo in 1983. He had a lifelong interest in horse racing and served as Commissioner on the Manitoba Racing Commission; also on the Manitoba Water Commission; 10 years on the Board of Habitat Heritage Corporation; and for decades on the executive at Fort Whyte. In 1999 his memoirs "A Gambler in War and Peace" received wide acclaim, with all proceeds donated to the Fort Whyte Centre. Paul wintered in Phoenix for the past 20 years, motoring down each year with "Duff", his constant companion, on his shoulder. He retained a lifelong interest in sports of all kinds, and was an active member of the St. James Y Business Mens Club and the Retired Group at the St. Vital Y. He is survived by sister-in-law Joan Brandson; nephews, Kelly of Toronto, Steve, Dan and Carl of Winnipeg; and niece Cathy Slack of Victoria, BC. Cremation has taken place. A commemorating service will be held Monday, August 19 at Voyage Funeral Home, 1531 Pembina Hwy., at 1:00 p.m. No flowers requested. If you wish, a donation may be made to Fort Whyte Centre. Arrangements entrusted to: VOYAGE FUNERAL HOME 1531 PEMBINA HWY. 284-7500

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Aug 17, 2002