John “Jack” W. Murphy

John “Jack” W. Murphy

Cedar Rapids

John “Jack” W. Murphy, 84, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, died Friday, August 16, 2024. A visitation will be held from 3 – 5 p.m. on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, at Murdoch-Linwood Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Cedar Rapids. A memorial service will take place at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, August 22, 2024, at Lovely Lane United Methodist Church in Cedar Rapids, with Pastor Scott Meador officiating.

Jack was born September 16, 1939, in Dayton, Ohio, the son of John and Gertrude (Wilson) Murphy. He graduated from Oakwood High School in Dayton. Jack earned his engineering degree from the University of Cincinnati and later completed his master’s degree in space science at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. On November 13, 1965, he was united in marriage to Cheryl Lynn Jacobson at Wesley Methodist Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Jack worked for General Motors in the AC Spark Plug Division in Milwaukee. In 1973, he and Cheryl relocated to Cedar Rapids, where he joined Rockwell Collins and contributed to the GPS program for 28 years, retiring in 2000. Following his retirement, Jack dedicated his time to several community initiatives, including the Book Buddies program, the Habitat for Humanity Building Project, Matthew 25 Urban Gardens, and supporting flood recovery efforts in 2008. He also designed and repaired toys for special needs children, designed and built wheelchair ramps, and led a LEGO group.

Survivors include his wife of 58 years, Cheryl Murphy of Cedar Rapids; children, Kevin (Jill) Murphy of Atlanta, Georgia, and Karen (Irvin) Soto of Pleasanton, California; and four grandchildren, Teddy Murphy, Heath (Jun) Murphy, Brian Soto, and Nicole Soto.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and sister, Janice Murphy.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to a charity of the donor’s choice in memory of Jack.

Please share a memory of Jack at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries.