Jimmy Murphey leaves a legacy of caring

CONCORD – The city is mourning the death of one of its beloved sons this week, since the death of William T.J. “Jimmy” Murphey Saturday morning.

Services for Murphey will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 14, at St. James Lutheran Church, at the corner of Union Street South and Corban Avenue.

There will be two opportunities to pay respects to Murphey on Friday, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Lamb Funeral Home, 122 Cabarrus Avenue, and from 5 to 8 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church. His family will be available to receive friends at Grace Lutheran from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday.

Murphey was known not just in Concord, but the whole of Cabarrus County and surrounding areas as “Mr. Christmas” for his massive efforts over 40 years to ensure that people he considered “the least of these, my brethren” had a hot meal on Christmas Day. He also gave each family a bag of groceries, a potted poinsettia, a bag of fruit, nuts and candy, and even toys for the younger families in need.

He was a member of Grace Lutheran Church of Concord, and the church's pastor, the Rev. Donald Anthony, is serving as the family's spokesman.

“We are very thankful to God that He gave us Jimmy Murphey, who provided thousands of gifts and meals to people in the community each year. It was part of his legacy that he enabled people from all walks of life to come together and support each other. They cooked together, served meals together, donated together, laughed together, cried together and prayed together,” Anthony said. “They also grew together as well, establishing relationships with each other.”

Origin of the Christmas dinner

Murphey's legacy predates the year of 1968 when he started the dinner and gift extravaganza on his own. It began as his mother Rosa Murphey's project during the Great Depression, when she was refused help from social services one Christmas season when she had no gifts for her children, and not enough food to feed them.

She vowed that when her circumstances improved, she would always be a resource for people who were hungry and in need. And she followed through with that promise up until her death, when her son, Jimmy, who'd always helped her put on her Christmas buffets, took over the job solo.

The dinner was always held in the family's very modest house on Woodsdale Avenue in Concord, and hundreds of people would file through for a plate of Christmas dinner with all the fixings. Murphey had worked in food service during his military career and was no stranger to preparing food for an army. He loved the tradition and he loved watching it grow over the years.

At a certain point, the holiday meal got to be too large for the home on Woodsdale, so he started holding it at Barber-Scotia College, and later at St. James' Catholic Church, both in downtown Concord. Not only would Murphey welcome people in for a sit-down meal, but he'd also have an army of volunteer drivers delivering thousands of meals to people in need. And in recent years, it's been held in other locations, as groups came forward to help continue the dinner when Murphey couldn't manage it all himself.

The tradition continues

Now there is a group called The Jimmy Murphey Christmas Foundation, headed by volunteers, including foundation president Josh Young and Jenny Weems, who is the operations manager for the organization. Young and Weems both have told the Independent Tribune that the newly formatted event will continue, even in the face of Murphey's death. “It is important that we continue his legacy,” Weems said. Young said the foundation will be announcing its plans for Christmas 2018 in the coming days and weeks.

Condolences from community leaders are pouring in as today's paper goes to press, including from U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson, of North Carolina's 8th Congressional District.

“My wife Renee and I send our heartfelt condolences and prayers to the family of Jimmy Murphey,” Hudson said. “'Mr. Christmas was an incredible public servant who touched thousands of people with his love and service. We join our entire community in mourning this significant loss.”

“His contribution to the community was just so amazing. To think that one person – it started with his mom – but one person could impact so many lives in Cabarrus County. One person could reach out to the community and help so many people, at that special time of year.”

Stocks said she thinks the community will continue to grow Murphey's legacy.

“I believe there is enough support to keep it going.”

Retired Concord councilman Jim Ramseur spoke highly of Murphey's Christmas event, and said he feels like Murphey had his finger on the pulse of the community, year-round. He talked about when he first ran for Concord City Council in 1995.

“I was running for city council and it was a tight race between me and my opponent. We had a pretty energized race going on and I didn't know if I could win it,” Ramseur said.

“But one Sunday evening, Jimmy Murphey called me and said, 'Young man, I want to talk to you a minute. I want you to know you're going to win.'”

Election day came, the race was tighter than ever, and rain was pouring all day long. Ramseur said, “I just knew Jimmy Murphey was going to be wrong. But about 5 o'clock, when people were getting off work, it stopped raining. I won the election. And I was so happy Jimmy Murphey was right. He was just really in touch with the community.”

More than one parent of a privileged youngster in Cabarrus County used the Christmas event to teach their children some perspective on entitlement.

Concord grandmother Susan Machiels said one Christmas morning back in the 1990s, her children unwrapped all their packages in a frenzy, and when they got to their last gifts, they looked up at their parents and asked if that was all they were getting.

Machiels said she and husband Paul looked at one another in horror and realized they were the ones to blame for spoiling their kids.

“Fast forward to the next Christmas, and no, there were not as many presents. There were probably still too many, but not as many as the year before. However, nobody was allowed to open their presents, not until we got a little perspective on what 'giving' is all about. We spent the morning serving Christmas dinner to those in need with Jimmy Murphey.”

Machiels said her children complained loudly beforehand, but after the fact the whole family realized it was one of the best experiences of their lives. “Thank you Jimmy Murphey for providing a teaching moment and the true meaning of servitude.”