Beverly “Ann” Murphy was born in Elberton, GA on March 13, 1935, to Willowmette (nee Warren), AKA Bill, and L.G. Brown. In 1938-1939, within an 18-month period, Ann’s older sister, Lena, her father and both maternal grandparents died, leaving her mother with Ann and Barbara, born in 1936, to raise by herself. Fortunately, Big Mama, as we called our grandmother, was a strong woman surrounded by four strong sisters and a little brother. Big Mama married James “Lloyd” Ruff in 1940 Lloyd Ruff (known by grandchildren as Big Daddy) treated the two girls as his own. Because of Big Daddy’s work in the construction industry, the family moved frequently. One year, Ann attended three different schools. In 1946, her half-brother Lloyd Ruff was born and the family settled on a farm outside of Elberton, GA, where Lloyd, Sr. took a job working cranes in granite mining.

Ann graduated from high school as valedictorian in 1953, and went to the Barrett School of Nursing in Augusta, GA. There she met Jack F. Murphy, a widower with a daughter, Colleen. They married in 1956 and soon added their son, Jack F. Murphy, Jr., in May 1957. The family moved to Tennille GA for Jack Sr to take a job with the Georgia Department of Transportation. Daughter Beverly was born in 1959, and Ann settled down to be a loving wife and mother, who taught Sunday School at Ridgeland Heights Baptist Church. In 1964, she began as a teaching assistant for kindergarteners at Happy Hours Playhouse.

Ann returned to nursing in 1966 by working at Washington County Memorial Hospital. She worked nights from 11:00 PM to 7:00 AM so that she could see her children off to school and be at home for them in the afternoons. She also served as Director of Nursing. After divorcing Jack Murphy in 1985, Ann went back to school at Georgia College at Milledgeville and received her BS in nursing in 1987. She started her travel adventures by travelling by rail through Europe with her son, Jack, in 1983.

Wanting to have a more adventurous life, Ann moved to Bethel, AL in 1988. She signed a two- year contract with the federal government to work with the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation. She worked in “labor and delivery” and as support for transport of critical patients to Anchorage. Even though her contract was for only 2 years, She stayed in Alaska for over 10 years until her retirement. During her time in Alaska, she hosted children and grandchildren and friends on personal tours of Bethel, Anchorage and Mount Denali. She also did cross-country skiing, visited Hawaii to scuba dive, visited the most northern and western points of the USA, bought a boat with her friend Ardean to catch and dry salmon, visited family every year in Florida and Georgia and many other adventures.

Ann retired from nursing in 1998 and moved to Decatur, GA. She joined First Baptist Church of Decatur where she taught a women’s Sunday School class, started a care-givers support group, and ministered to the homebound at Bud Terrace, Claremont Oaks and other facilities or homes. Ann supported and worked at DEAM, a non-profit food bank and financial assistance program. She was honored as Senior Citizen of the year for her work at DEAM in 2014 by the Decatur Lions Club. Ann’s greatest homebound ministry was to her own mother who lived with Ann from 2001 until her death in 2008.

Ann went to Thailand twice for medical missions to minister with other healthcare professionals and was able to ride an elephant on her 75th birthday. Ann moved to Cumming GA in 2023 to live with her daughter and son-in-law, Jim Harrington. For Thanksgivings the last few years, all of Ann’s children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren would visit her in Cumming.

Ann was a life-long fan of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the Atlanta Braves.

The two most important things to remember about Ann is that she deeply loved her Lord Jesus Christ and that she truly had the spiritual gift of servanthood for all. Some of her favorite Bible verses are:

Exodus 3:14-God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.

Psalm 20:14-May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 51:10-Create in me a pure heart, O GOD, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Ann is survived by her sister Barbara Royal, brother Lloyd Ruff (Sara), children Jack F. Murphy (Susan) and Beverly Harrington (Jim) as well as several grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and grand nieces and nephews.

In leu of flowers, please donate to DEAM Ministries.