Patricia Ann Murphy

Patricia Ann Murphy (nee Profitt), age 68, of North Fort Myers passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 6, 2019 after a long battle with cancer. She was the wife of Dr. Charles Murphy. They shared 37 years of marriage together.

Born on September 19th, 1950 in Welch, WV, Patricia was the daughter of Clarence and Mary Snead Profitt of Gary, WV. Following graduation from Gary High School in 1968, Patricia went to college at Marshall University in Huntington, WV, later graduating from Emory & Henry College in Meadowview, VA with a degree in education. Patricia taught English for over 35 years, with most of those years spent in Lee County Schools (Cape Coral High School, Gulf Middle School and Caloosa Middle School). After retirement, she volunteered at Cape Coral Elementary School. Patricia was deeply religious and a faithful believer in God. She was an active member at Grace United Methodist Church in Cape Coral, where she was involved with the Pets Are Working Saints (P.A.W.S) Ministry. Patricia enjoyed taking her dogs into the nursing homes, interacting with the residents and hearing their stories. She was excited to bring joy to them with the use of her pets. In addition, she facilitated GED classes through Grace Church for members of the community and spent many weekends working in the church’s thrift store. Patricia loved to dance, to travel with her family and was an avid sports fan. She was a loyal follower of the Florida Gators, WVU Mountaineers and Atlanta Braves. She loved to watch her children and grandchildren play soccer, baseball, basketball, volleyball and tennis. Watching her granddaughter dance brought her immeasurable joy. Patricia will be remembered for her kind heart and generous spirit. She was loved by her family and touched the lives of many others. She once said that she did not fear death – she only wished she didn’t have to leave her family that she loved so deeply. She will be dearly missed.

Patricia is survived by her spouse, Charles; her daughter Krista Murphy of Cape Coral, FL; her sons, Jonathan Murphy of North Fort Myers, FL, and Shaughn Murphy (wife Marie) of Cape Coral, FL; sister Jean McClure (husband Bill) of Longmeadow, MA; grandchildren Holden Scott, Camden Scott, Kaleb Kindl, and Olivia Murphy. She is preceded in death by her parents and brother, Preston “Sonny” Profitt.

A celebration of life will be conducted on Saturday, January 12, 2019 at 11:00 am at Grace United Methodist Church in Cape Coral, FL. Visitation will be held on Thursday, January 17, 2019 from 6:00-8:00 pm at Farris Funeral Service in Abingdon, VA. Funeral services will be held on Friday, January 18, 2019 at 10:00 am at Holston Valley Baptist Church in Abingdon, VA. with Pastor Paul Ketron officiating. Patricia will then be laid to rest at Forest Hills Memory Gardens in Abingdon, VA. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research at www.lustgarten.org.