Brenda Sue Murphy

Brenda Sue Murphy, 69, of Akron, passed away after a long illness on June 28, 2026 at Green Village Skilled Nursing and Rehab.

She was born on June 12, 1957 to the late Thomas and Kathryn (Day) Murphy in Colorado Springs, CO. The daughter of a career Army man, Brenda and her family moved frequently. Over the years, they made their home in Colorado, Germany, Georgia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, the suburbs of Washington D.C., and Akron, Ohio.

Brenda graduated from Garfield High School before earning her undergraduate and master degrees from the University of Akron. She was a social worker for decades. After her illness kept her from working full time, Brenda continued devoting her time to others as a volunteer. She worked with the Red Cross in disaster support and providing art therapy to children impacted by catastrophic events. She manned phone lines for suicide prevention and served as an usher at EJ Thomas. Brenda's efforts were acknowledged with a Volunteer of the Year Award.

In her free time, Brenda also had a passion for genealogy and uncovered many fascinating details about her ancestors.

In addition to her parents, Brenda was preceded in death by her brother, Thomas Murphy Jr.

She will be dearly missed by her sister and brother-in-law, Debra and James Murphy; nieces, Jean (Steve) Giunto and Kathleen (Andrew) Black; nephews, Joshua Murphy and Matthew (Joanna) Murphy; aunts, Sharlene (Frank) Carr and Norma (Bob) Carr; and a host of great-nieces, great-nephews, cousins, and friends. She also leaves her devoted caregiver, Mary Rice.

Per Brenda's wishes, her family will celebrate her life privately.

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