Dr. William M. Murphy, age 78, passed away peacefully at home in Gainesville, Florida after a prolonged battle with cancer. Born in Des Moines, IA, he was educated at Drake University and Harvard Medical School, served in the U.S. Navy, and held faculty positions/professorships at the University of Tennessee, Baptist Memorial Hospital Memphis, and Tulane Medical Center before coming to the University of Florida in 1994. A widower for many years, he is survived by daughters Jamar Kroll (Scott) of Boston, MA and Shawn Pendergrass (Joe) of Knoxville, TN, as well as three grandchildren – Mary Elizabeth, Sally, and William Pendergrass.
Dr. Murphy’s abiding interest was in teaching. He was an internationally known pathologist with expertise in diseases of the urogenital system. Among his many contributions to the medical literature were the 3rd and 4th editions of the AFIP Fascicle on Tumors of the Kidney, Bladder, and Related Urinary Structures and a textbook of Urological Pathology. He especially enjoyed conducting educational courses for practicing pathologists under the auspices of the American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP), the United States-Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP), and the American Society of Cytopathology (ASC). He was the recipient of many honors, including the Papanicolaou Award of the ASC.
A lover of history and travel, Dr. Murphy was a voracious reader and could discuss with authority issues affecting almost any time period, including current events. He travelled all over the world and visited more than 60 countries. He enjoyed hosting guests and visiting colleagues and friends across the globe.
A Celebration of Life was held on Saturday, September 4, 2021 at Williams-Thomas Funeral Home Downtown with Dr. Don McGarity officiating. Graveside service will be Saturday, September 11 at 11 AM at Chapel Hill Gardens, 4400 Merle Hay Rd, Des Moines IA 50310. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Haven Hospice or the American Cancer Society. https://donate3.cancer.org.
