Salida lost a beloved resident, Mary Ellen Murphy, who passed away gracefully at home on January 12, 2025, weeks shy of her 92nd birthday. She moved to Salida in 1959 with her husband, Bill Murphy, to acquire KVRH, the local AM radio station, later expanding its coverage and adding one of Colorado’s first FM stations, to become a major media voice in the area. Retiring in 2000 upon sale of the stations, the couple remained active in the community for the next two decades. Mary Ellen was widowed in 2020 after 66 years of marriage. Born February 1, 1933, Mary Ellen was the only daughter of William and Viola Morgan of Griffith, Indiana, adored by her extended family, and relatively fortunate during the Great Depression. Of her four brothers, Jim Morgan of Freeport, Maine survives her, with Billy, John and Donald predeceasing her. A graduate of Bishop Noll Catholic High School in Hammond, IN, Mary Ellen worked as a secretary at Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad while attending DePaul University at Chicago and Indiana University Gary Center. At 19, she met the love of her life, eight years her senior- a dashing World War II Navy veteran, University of California- Berkeley graduate and professional musician, beginning his career in broadcasting as an announcer at a Chicagoland radio station. Their parents were neighbors, and arranged an introduction at church, where the couple married two years later.
Always a fashionista, Mary Ellen wore an ice blue Chantilly lace wedding gown with a French illusion veil secured by pearls, with 300 guests celebrating the union. Mary Ellen’s family was her greatest joy and passion. At 23, Mary Ellen became a mother, and had her second daughter 17 months later. The young family moved to Salida when Mary Ellen was 26, where she was delighted to meet a vanguard of well-coiffed and active women embracing the 1960s and 1970s as they raised their broods, and remaining friends over the years. Mary Ellen added three offspring during the 60s, including her only son. All five of Mary Ellen and Bill’s children are Salida High School graduates, and the couple provided them the opportunity to pursue higher education. Mary Ellen is lovingly remembered and deeply missed by her daughters Riley Murphy, Molly Stewart (Denny), Kelly Mulvihill (John), and Kathy DeShon (Todd), and her son, Morgan Murphy (Kasie), as well as her eleven grandchildren, Brendan Stewart (Haley), Kathleen Stewart; Molly and Meghan Mulvihill; Tucson, Turner, Trevor and Nick DeShon; and Tucker, Duncan and Maya Murphy. In addition to supporting and volunteering at St Joseph Catholic School while each of her children attended through the sixth grade, Mary Ellen later served on the Parish Council. Devout Catholics, both Mary Ellen and Bill were appointed with the initial group of Eucharistic Ministers. Mary Ellen was an enthusiastic member of the Salida Chapter of the P.E.O. sisterhood, an international philanthropic organization primarily dedicated to furthering education for women. For over 57 years, she regularly attended meetings and fundraisers, volunteering for many events. Mary Ellen developed a competitive sporting spirit, rasied with two athletic brothers. She impressed her children by skillfully ice skating backwards, alpine skiing for a few years, and playing golf for six decades, admired for her putting (a skill she attributed to her son’s pointers). Mary Ellen served on the board of the Salida Golf Club in the 1980’s, and was a co-president. She golfed regularly with the ladies group, socializing afterwards to play cards in the clubhouse. For their local and invitational tournaments, Mary Ellen provided arrangements of flowers from her garden to adorn the tables. She and fellow Salida golfers were members of the prestigious Colorado Senior Women’s Golf Association, and competed in tournaments across the State. An avid football fan, Mary Ellen and Bill enjoyed their season tickets to Broncos home games for forty years beginning in the mid-60s, and otherwise rarely missed watching games on television. Although she followed CU, Berkeley and other college teams important to her family, Notre Dame was Mary Ellen’s favorite, and she cheered their 2024 victories. As owners of the predominant radio media with a focus on local and regional news, editorials, talk shows, high school sports and FibArk for 41 years, Mary Ellen and Bill were integrated into the business community, and contributed to the cultural development of the area through KVRH sponsorships and promotions, as well as individual contributions to organizations. After retiring in 2000, Mary Ellen and Bill continued their support of the Salida Aspen Concerts and the Alpine Orchestra, and frequented Riverside Park concerts, fundraising events for several local organizations, and festivals. They golfed together through 2019, enjoyed playing new courses and spectating at professional tournaments. Mary Ellen and her husband followed golf on television, particularly Rory Mcilroy’s career. They relished leisurely road trips, experiencing museums and other points of interest, vacationed frequently in the Bay area, and wintered in Arizona. Mary Ellen took trips to Ireland and Greece with her daughters (Bill had had enough overseas travel while in the Navy) and the couple toured the Canadian Rockies from Vancouver to Calgary by luxury train. As a widow, Mary Ellen spent winter months with her family in the Texas Hill Country. Mary Ellen is also survived by her brother Don’s wife, Shirley Morgan and their daughters Cheryl Ihrig (Mark) and Maureen O’Connor (Tom), and their children, Mark and Morgan Ihrig, and Corinne, Broghan and Callahan O’Connor, as well as her brother John’s granddaughter, Mina Barr (Matt). Mary Ellen’s family and friends describe her as sweet, kind and loved by everyone who met her. A favorite anecdote is Mary Ellen flying to Mexico (and elsewhere) for shopping sprees in a single-engine plane piloted by her girlfriend. To paraphrase Mary Ellen’s contemplation of her life: “I’ve always had everything I ever wanted since I was a little girl. My life has been so blessed”. Please join the family for a celebration of Mary Ellen’s life on May 17th, at 11:00 am at St. Joseph Catholic Church, with burial at Fairview Cemetery, followed by a reception at the Salida Steamplant (which Mary Ellen and Bill supported since its transformation, and where they enjoyed many performances and events). Online tributes may be shared at lewisandglenn.com. Please consider a donation in Mary Ellen’s memory to either of the following organizations: 1) Check payable to P.E.O. Chapter FN c/o Kristi Wilson, Treasurer, 220 Wood Avenue, Salida CO 81201 (designation for the local scholarship fund) (2) Salida Aspen Concerts https://www.salidaaspenconcerts.org/giving
