PERSONAL:
Dick (Murph) was born in Syracuse, NY. He is the son of Charles and Elizabeth Murphy. He presently lives in the Onondaga Hill area of Syracuse with his SU bride of 53 years (in May), Carolyn, a gifted artist and gardener. They have 2 daughters, Elizabeth and Catherine. They have two grandchildren, Richard (named after Murph) and Ronald, named after his paternal grandfather who died in the service of the USN. Murph received a BA in History in 1967 from SU.
HIGH SCHOOL:
Dick was a three-sport athlete at Nottingham HS in Syracuse. He played a little QB and a lot of TB for Coach Ted Petroff. He also was a Decathlon athlete in track & field and an occasional contributor in basketball. Murph represented Nottingham as a co-captain for the CNY All- Scholastic FB Team during his senior year. The following fall he attended Bridgton Academy located in Maine where he met two other players who became teammates at SU, Walter Jajuga and Peter Routses. He was also named All-New England as a TB. In 2013 Murph was elected to Bridgton’s Hall of Fame as a Scholar/Athlete. Murph received scholarship offers from BC, Holy Cross, West Virginia, Pitt, Dayton and Maine. He was recruited to SU by Jim Shreve. Murph related to me that when he was in Junior High School, he was a helper for the famous Al Zak, SU equipment manager. His responsibilities included providing water, ice and towels for the opposing team’s bench who came to play SU. He has fond memories of meeting many future NFL stars. He thought this was one of the factors in choosing SU for college football, and an opportunity to play closer to home.
SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY:
Murph became a kicker for SU his senior year when he received his letter. He was a member of the 1964 Sugar Bowl and the 1966 Gator Bowl teams. He is a 2000 SU Varsity Club Letter Winner of Distinction Award recipient. When discussing his life after football, Murph believes that football definitely prepared him for life and its ups and downs. His love for his Alma Mater, the Varsity Club and former SFC teammates is evident when you talk sports with him.
PRO FOOTBALL:
In April ’67, Murph was invited by Hall of Fame kicker and Coach Ben Agajanian to attend a Dallas Cowboys “Kicking Karavan” being held for potential kickers. He was signed as a free agent and invited to attend pre-season camp in Thousand Oaks, CA. As he was preparing to leave for this opportunity, he received a military draft notice and could not attend the camp. He joined the Marine Corps, serving three years, primarily assigned to the 8th Marine Corps Tank Division. Honorably discharged in September 1970 as a LCpl. He is a member of Marine Corps League and the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. Murph mentioned again that his experiences as a team member in football were contributing factors in his adjustment to life as a young Marine.
AFTER FOOTBALL:
A consummate professional, Richard C. Murphy, CLU, LUTC, AEP, has provided insurance and financial concepts to individuals and other financial professionals in order for them to provide well thought-out plans for their own personal and client’s well-being. He has been a business and estate planning advocate for 53 years.
During his career, he has earned a reputation as a well-respected leader, author, educator, teacher, speaker and developer of sales ideas software. Dick served as President of the Syracuse Association of Insurance and Financial providers and in 1998 was presented a Distinguished Service Award. He was also the President of the CNY Society of Financial Services Professionals where he received their Distinguished Service Award. He is a current board member of the NY Estate Planning Council. He is a 38-year member of the Million Dollar Round Table and is CNY’s only 6-time Annual Meeting Speaker for the MRDT. He is the creator of “Living on a Nine Figure Income”, a CD Presentation to help Americans to discover which is the right age to begin Social Security Benefits. In September 2001 he was recognized as a Newsweek magazine Real Life Story award winner. As Principal Owner of Richard Murphy Insurance and Financial Concepts, he shared these personal thoughts of his professional education and experiences:
“Simply put, here’s my concept: I work in financial services. The three toughest opponents I play are death, disability and retirement. My job is on the defensive side of the ball; getting to and defending clients before those three offensive opponents reach them. Yes, it’s a sports analogy used to make my point; we’re idea people developing unique, creative concepts and ideas all presented in a clear proprietary way. If we don’t have a well-thought-out game plan…well, you get the point; winning against those financial risks is the only option. I help business owners, professionals and those with estates, keep together what they have put together.”
Murph is active in the community, working on many fundraising projects for the Muscular Dystrophy Society and the Leukemia Society. He has also worked on projects for the Ronald McDonald House and Toys for Tots. Murph has been a Varsity Club Member since graduating from SU in 1967, he is now a lifetime member of the club and is on the Board of Directors of the Syracuse Football Club. He has served on the Varsity Club Board and was elected President from 1995-99. During his reign as President, he also served on the Athletic Policy Board. He has served as Post Chairman of the board for the Orange Pack. Murph has volunteered as a Track and Field Official since 1977.
In conclusion, Murph is a man of strong faith who is committed to using his faith and professional education to help others in their business and estate planning needs. He loves SU and enjoys time with former teammates at football gatherings. Congratulations Murph on showing us that there is much beyond football that will show up in your life opportunities through dedication and education to your chosen professional career.
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