James Richard “Jimmy” Murphy, Sr., of Texarkana, passed away peacefully on September 24, 2024, after a brief illness.
He was born in Texarkana, Arkansas, on January 14, 1935, attended Texarkana, Arkansas schools, and graduated from the Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He attended Southern Methodist University and the University of Arkansas before marrying his wife of 60 years, Kay Dolch of Dallas, Texas. They moved to Lafayette County, in the Red River bottoms outside of Bradley, Arkansas, where they lived until 1960, and started a family that would grow to 4 children. They then moved to Texarkana where he lived for the rest of his life.
He built a successful farming operation at the Murphy Plantation and M&B Farms in Lafayette County. Early in his career, he became the youngest bank director in Arkansas at 21 years of age. “Jimmy Dick”, as he was known to his childhood friends, built several business ventures which included insurance, auto leasing, land development, credit life insurance, restaurants, Highline construction, and specialty contracting, with several partners and family members over the years. He served on the Board of Directors and ultimately became Chairman and CEO of Texarkana National Bank, where he retired after leading TNB in the merger with Hibernia Bank of New Orleans.
He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Texarkana, Arkansas, and served on numerous community boards and charities in Texarkana over his lifetime.
He was preceded in death by his parents, William T. Murphy, Jr. and Bonnie S. Murphy; daughter Sally Marie Murphy; and his wife, Kathryn “Kay” Dolch Murphy, as well as his sister Sally Sue Murphy Rodgers, and her husband Dr. Nathaniel Rodgers, and his brother William “Bill” T. Murphy, III, and his wife Imogene W. Murphy.
He is survived by his son, James Richard “Rick” Murphy, Jr., and daughter-in-law, Jan Goodson Murphy; daughters, Susan Murphy Cogell, and Patti Murphy; three grandchildren, Patrick N.M. Duke (Becky), Jane Anne Murphy Shanahan (Ryan), and Kathryn Cogell Kurtz (Josh); and 8 great-grandchildren, along with several nieces, nephews, and cousins.
A memorial service will be held in his honor on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, at First Presbyterian Church, Texarkana, AR, at 1:30 P.M. Private burial will be in Hillcrest Memorial Park.
The family also recognizes and thanks the special friends who added so much to Jimmy’s quality of life: Pat and Eddie Peters, Bill Parker, Karen Hill, Dolly Marting, and the staff at Cornerstone Retirement Center.
Memorials in lieu of flowers can be sent to Jimmy’s favorite charity, The Randy Sams’ Outreach Shelter, 402 Oak Street, Texarkana, Texas, 75501, or a charity of your choice.
