Peter Francis Murphy, age 96, of Munster, IN, passed away peacefully on Tuesday,
January 9th , 2024, surrounded by his family. He was preceded in death by his wife,
Marian “Mimi” (nee Schumacher) Murphy, his son Peter Murphy, and his grandson,
Scott Sawa. He is survived by his daughter, Debra (Edward) Sawa, his son Kevin
Murphy (Kathy Dalton), his grandson Jeff (Jenny) Sawa, and his granddaughters
Brianne (James) Markos, and Shellie Sawa.
Peter was a happily married man. When Peter was a sophomore in high school,
Marian, a freshman, wouldn’t take no for an answer for a high school dance and
cornered him in the bathroom until he said yes…the rest is history. She was the love
of his life. They were married in 1948 for 53 years.
Peter was a lifelong loyal Chicago Cubs fan. One of the thrills of his life was seeing
them bring home the World Series trophy in 2016. He sure loved sports! He enjoyed
playing golf both in Indiana and while snow-birding in Arizona. Peter also was an all-
star bowler in leagues at Munster Lanes. Later in life, he continued bowling weekly
with his senior friends.
Whether it was his granddaughters’ soccer games or his grandson’s baseball games,
you could always find him in the stands. He was lovingly referred to as “Grampee” by
the soccer girls, and women’s soccer grew to be one of his favorite sports to watch.
Inland Steel was lucky to have Peter as a dedicated employee for over 35 years.
During his retirement, and as a true Irishman, Peter traveled to Ireland with his
brother and his sister-in-law. He jumped at the opportunity to kiss the Blarney Stone.
Peter was a devout Catholic who prayed the rosary daily. A few of his other favorite
pastimes were playing cards, reading, and listening to music. He was an expert at
telling stories from his past that always gained the family’s undivided attention. His
laugh, wit, and good-hearted nature will be deeply missed, to say the least. He also
had the most magical hugs.
Visitation will be held on Tuesday, January 16th , 2024, from 9:30am-10:00am CT at St.
Thomas More at 8501 Calumet Avenue in Munster, IN, with mass immediately after
at 10:00am. Interment will follow at Calumet Park Cemetery at 2305 W. 73rd Avenue
in Merrillville, IN. In lieu of flowers, donations may be given in Peter’s name to
Hospice of the Calumet Area in Munster, www.hospicecalumet.org, or your favorite
charity.
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