Kelly S. Murphy

Kelly Shawn Murphy, 59, of Olathe, passed away on September 7, 2020 at his home after a courageous battle with colon cancer. He was born on January 6, 1961 in Great Bend, KS to Carlos and Barbara (Hamby) Murphy. As a young child, Kelly's family moved to Hutchinson, KS. He enjoyed growing up in Hutch and always had a funny or happy memory to share. Kelly was a Boy Scout and enjoyed sports. He did very well as a cross-country runner at Hutchinson High School and was proud to be an alumnae... always a Salthawk.

Kelly received his Bachelor's degree in Business and Marketing from Emporia State University in Emporia, KS. While at ESU, he met his future wife, Joanne Arleen Long. They were married on July 27, 1985 in Hutchinson, KS. Kelly was proud to be the father of three wonderful sons, Kyle, Sean and Ryan. He enjoyed doing so many things with them - watching them play sports, fishing and shooting fireworks at the lake, trying new foods, just spending time with them. He especially enjoyed being an active part of their scouting years. He was a Cub Scout den leader and a Boy Scout merit badge counselor.

Kelly was a member of Toastmasters and enjoyed the challenge of improving his public speaking. He was a volunteer at the Wyandotte County Coalition for Independence. Kelly was an active and involved member of Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Olathe. His favorite church activity by far was heading up the church's corn booth at Old Settlers Days. He loved being the "Corn King".

Kelly worked as a Payroll Specialist at KU Medical Center for the past 17 years.

Kelly loved to laugh and had a unique sense of humor. He was a walking book of trivia. He was kind, compassionate, and generous and no one was a stranger to him. He was passionate about KU basketball, Royals baseball, and the Chiefs.

Kelly is survived by his loving wife, Joanne; sons, Kyle, Sean, and Ryan; parents, Carlos and Barbara Murphy; brothers, Shannon and Scott (Marieke); in-laws, Ron and Dianne Long, sister-in-law Marianne D'Amato (Steve); nephews, Nigel, Seamus, and Anthony; nieces, Kristen, Lauren, Audrey, and Gina, and many other relatives and friends.

Visitation will be held Friday, September 11, 2020 from 7-9PM at Penwell-Gabel Cremations, Funerals & Receptions, Olathe, KS.

A private funeral service will be held.

A special thank you to Dr. Weijing Sun and the staff at KU Cancer Center for their excellent care and compassion throughout Kelly's journey.

Memorials are suggested to the KU Cancer Center, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, or Aldersgate United Methodist Church.



To leave a special message for Kelly's family, please press the "Share Memories" button above.