Larry Wolfe
He’s from Chicago. He’s Irish. What else could he be? I’ll let you ponder that for a while.
Patrick Murphy graduated from Brother Rice High, Chicago’s premier Catholic college preparatory school, where he was on the football, wrestling, and softball teams. He attended Moraine Valley Community College before earning a Criminal Law Degree at Western Illinois University. He also played on what he calls a “ragtag” rugby team that won the Midwest Cup, beating Notre Dame in the finals. He worked his way through college as a law clerk. His first interest was to become a lawyer, but after an internship with the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, he switched his career path to law enforcement.
He started out working in small municipalities, then for the Will County Forest Preserve Police Department before joining the Cook County Sheriff’s Department while serving as a police officer for the State of Illinois. After 12 years, he and his family relocated to Arizona where Pat joined the ASU Police Department. He loved his position there but, unfortunately, after 11 years, it all ended abruptly when he was seriously injured in an on-duty bike accident. He still has a long titanium rod in his right arm as a result. That sent him into early medical disability retirement. Besides his regular duties, Pat was heavily involved in ASU’s Shop With A Cop Program, their food and toy drives, and campus safety programs for students. He then became a stay-at-home dad while his wife Janice worked for Southwest Airlines.
Janice and Pat have been married for 33 years and have five kids (Andrea, Patrick, Colleen, Timothy, and Connor) and three grandkids, so far. Interestingly, Pat delivered Colleen while on duty as a police officer! Three of their kids attended ASU (I guess it helps to have an employee tuition discount!).
Pat has played softball off and on since high school, including the 16-inch Chicago variety. He’s also played on numerous “standard” softball teams, including some Illinois State Championship clubs. He joined our league last fall after a long time off due to his injury. His usual position was pitcher, but he’s seeing how the arm holds up before returning to that position.
After Janice retires later this year, the Murphys will have much more time to do more “retirement things,” including traveling. They have already visited their Irish “homeland,” as well as France, Belgium, Thailand, and the Fiji Islands. Pat was especially wowed by their visit to Normandy, since his father had landed at Omaha Beach during the D-Day invasion. They also really enjoyed Dublin where Pat was “adopted” by the local Garda when they found out he was a Chicago cop named Murphy!
Pat has more stories to tell than Guinness has beer (Janice says he should write a book), but there’s one you need to ask him about. Would you believe he was elected Homecoming King and Senior Class President for a school that he never attended?!