John “Jack” W. Murphy
Cedar Rapids
John “Jack” W. Murphy, 84, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, died Friday, August 16, 2024. A wake will be held Wednesday, August 21, 2024, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Murdoch-Linwood Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Cedar Rapids. Funeral services will be held Thursday, August 22, 2024, at 11:30 a.m. at Lovely Lane United Methodist Church in Cedar Rapids with Pastor Scott Meador officiating.
Jack was born on September 16, 1939, in Dayton, Ohio, to John and Gertrude (Wilson) Murphy. He graduated from Oakwood High School in Dayton. Jack earned his engineering degree from the University of Cincinnati and later completed his master’s degree in space science from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. On November 13, 1965, he married Cheryl Lynn Jacobson at the Wesley Methodist Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Jack worked for General Motors in the AC Spark Plug Division in Milwaukee. In 1973, he and Cheryl moved to Cedar Rapids, where he joined Rockwell Collins and contributed to the GPS program for 28 years until his retirement in 2000. After his retirement, Jack devoted his time to several community initiatives, including the Book Buddies program, the Habitat for Humanity Building Project, Matthew 25 Urban Gardens, and supporting the 2008 flood recovery efforts. He also designed and repaired toys for children with special needs, designed and built wheelchair ramps, and led a LEGO group.
He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Cheryl Murphy of Cedar Rapids; his children, Kevin (Jill) Murphy of Atlanta, Georgia; and Karen (Irvin) Soto of Pleasanton, California; and four grandchildren: Teddy Murphy, Heath (Jun) Murphy, Brian Soto, and Nicole Soto.
His parents and his sister Janice Murphy predeceased him.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Jack’s memory may be made to a charity of the donor’s choice.
Please share your memories of Jack at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under “Obituaries.”
