Phillip Murray

Phillip passed away at Langdale Hospice House on 03/24/24 after a difficult, valiant fight with cancer. He was born in Quitman, GA to John Edward Murray, Jr. and Billie English Murray. Phillip graduated from Brooks County High School in 1973. During high school he had a part-time job working at Maxwell Funeral Home in Quitman, GA. After graduation he went to Gupton-Jones Mortuary School in Decatur, GA. Phillip then went to work at a funeral home across from Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium where he and friends would walk over to see the Atlanta Braves play baseball.

Phillip always loved science and that led him to Georgia State University in Atlanta where he received a BS in Chemistry. He continued his education at the University of Alabama – Tuscaloosa where he was accepted into their PhD program in Chemistry. While studying and doing research for his dissertation, he worked as a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the undergraduate Physical Chemistry labs, as well as maintaining the department’s newly acquired Nuclear Magnetic Resonance instrument. Phillip was always willing to help other students and post-doctoral fellows to use this instrument to investigate nuclei, including Chromium, Molybdenum, Tungsten, and others, which were essential to their respective studies. Phillip received his PhD in Chemistry in 1987.

After receiving his PhD, he was much sought after in the job market. Phillip chose to begin his illustrious 20+ years with Dow Chemical Company in Midland, Michigan. With Dow he was sent to multiple locations where they had plants, for example Lake Jackson, Texas and Europe. Phillip retired from Dow on 01/31/2008 while in Midland, Michigan. He moved back to Quitman, GA, which he always considered home, in 2010 to be closer to family.

He had many outside interests that included fly fishing, golfing, downhill snow skiing and traveling. Phillip was a motorcycle enthusiast and enjoyed riding. He also enjoyed sharing a good meal with family and friends.

Phillip is survived and will be missed by his brothers, John (wife Sandee), Dallas, TX, and David (wife Karen), Quitman, GA; nephews; numerous cousins; friends in Michigan, Alabama, Texas and Georgia (especially in Quitman and Thomasville). He is preceded in death by his parents.

No services are planned at this time.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Phillip Murray, please visit our floral store.