Tom Murphy Dies
Posted by Slobokan @ 00:32 · 154 words · print
Former Georgia House Speaker Tom Murphy, a cigar-chomping country lawyer who towered over state politics when Democrats were at their zenith, died at 10 p.m. Monday, nearly four years after a stroke left him incapacitated. He was 83.
A cantankerous character in a white Stetson, Murphy detested seat belts and Republicans with equal zeal. Most people addressed him simply as "Mr. Speaker," and in his record run as House leader he often wielded more power than the governors he served.
Despite his rural roots, Murphy likely had a greater hand in shaping modern metro Atlanta than any other figure in state politics.
"I've had a good life," Murphy said during an April 2003 interview in his Bremen law office. "I'm very satisfied with the way it all turned out."
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Murphy is survived by a son, Michael L. Murphy of Bremen; and three daughters, Martha Long, Marjorie McBrayer and Mary Jane Murphy, all of Bremen.
Posted In: Obituaries
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