David B. Murphy, Sr.

David B. Murphy, Sr., age 92, of Chelsea, MI, passed away on August 28, 2025, at Trinity Health Ann Arbor Hospital surrounded by loved ones.

Dave was born on July 10, 1933, in Tecumseh, MI, the son of Wenton and Esther (Mackey) Murphy. He proudly called Chelsea home for the past 60 years, where he became a familiar face in the community as the longtime owner of Murph’s Barbershop.

On April 27, 1973, he married Betty (Bradbury) Eder at the First Congregational Church of Chelsea, where they were active members for many years.

A proud veteran, Dave served his country in the United States Army from 1953–1955 during the Korean Conflict. He was a dedicated member of the Herbert J. McKune American Legion Post 31 for over 50 years and a lifetime member of the Chelsea Masonic Lodge.

Golf was one of Murph’s many joys. He was a longtime member of Inverness Country Club, where he served on the board for many years and earned an honorary membership. He started the Monday Men’s Senior League, which he fondly nicknamed “Murphy’s Misfits.” He also loved mowing his lawn, spending countless hours on his tractor, making his lawn look as much like a fairway as he could.

Murph (as he was known by many friends and family) traveled Michigan and the country with Betty, losing golf balls and taking pictures of fairways. While he was happy in the Congregational Church with Betty, he might have had more religious experiences at Inverness on weekend mornings with his buddies in the “Mouse Pack.” At age 76, he achieved a major milestone envied by many – shooting his age.

Dave’s sense of humor, quick wit, and gift of friendship made him loved by many. He had a passion for sports. He received accolades for his baseball pitching talent at Tecumseh High and even had a shot at making the big leagues with a tryout for the Tigers. He was an avid University of Michigan fan. He and a couple of his best buddies spent their Saturdays on the sidelines working the chain gang for U of M football. He did this for 18 years during the Schembechler and Carr eras. Murph loved and was loved by his friends. One of his favorite past-times was pranks and practical jokes, exploding golf balls for example. He was a gifted poet and a master craftsman at the lost art of beautiful penmanship. On request he could sit down and pull together a beautiful verse in 20 minutes.

Above all, he was deeply devoted to his family—he was a loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather. Dave is survived by his wife, Betty; his children: Jacqueline (Stanley) Yates of Grass Lake, David Jr. (Sheila) Murphy of West Branch, Tim (Mary Jane) Eder of Chelsea, Jeff (LouAnn) Eder of Chelsea, and Rick (Kim) Eder of Manchester; 12 grandchildren: Robin, Joshua, Paul, Jeremy, Haley, Gwendolyn, Corynne, Benjamin, Sarah, Ryan, Patrick, and Stanley Jr.; 11 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandson. He was preceded in death by three children, Matthew Murphy, Michael Murphy, and Kellene Murphy, as well as his sister, Rosemary Walsh.

Visitation will be held Wednesday, September 3, 2025, from 2–4 p.m. and 6–8 p.m., at Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home, Chelsea.

A Memorial Service will be held Thursday, September 4, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at the First Congregational Church of Chelsea, with burial at Oak Grove Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to the First Congregational Church of Chelsea or the Wounded Warrior Project.

Arrangements by Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home.