Rayfield Murphy

April 13, 1949 ~ July 12, 2022 (age 73)

Rayfield Murphy, departed this life on Tuesday July 12, 2022 after a brief illness with his family at his bedside.

Rayfield was born on April 13, 1949 and was lovingly raised as the third and youngest child of George and Lucille (Woods) Murphy of Whiteville, Tennessee who proceeded him in death.

His funeral service was on Saturday, July 23, 2022 at 1:00 pm at Antioch MB Church in Whiteveille, Tn with Pastor Thomas Morrow in charge.  Burial was in the Union Springs MB church cemetery and Dixie Funeral Home www.dixiefuneralhome.com was in charge of the professional service.

Knowing that he was a special child of God, his father George named him after the archangel Rayfield, more commonly known as Raphael. Upon graduation from Allen White High School, Rayfield followed in the footsteps of his older siblings and matriculated at Tennessee State University, where he was initiated into the Zeta Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity.

Rayfield excelled in his career in the field of Education, ascending to become Assistant Superintendent of both the Hardeman County and Davidson County School Systems. His continued educational and career pursuits led Rayfield to explore the country and to “never meet a stranger”. His benevolent personality and fearless approach to exploring new trends served him well as a serial Entrepreneur in several different markets. However, after many years of traveling along all the highways and byways, and living in multiple states, Rayfield ultimately listened to his heart and came back to his first love, the Murphy homestead in
Whiteville.

Rayfield was always known to be very studious, and the fervent intellectual; thus it was to no one’s surprise, that he became a student of the written word of his Lord and Savior, whom he accepted at a young age. One of Rayfield’s many passions included the study and teaching of Christianity wherever he resided. He accepted his calling into the Ministry, and took great pride in his final church home at Trinity Christian Church in Whiteville, where he was a Pastor.
Rayfield enjoyed traveling with his wife Marlene (Parham), visiting with family both near and far, and spending time learning new dance routines with his granddaughters. His uplifting words of advice coupled with his wide smile will be sorely missed.

Rayfield’s dedication to family, love for travel and generous spirit will live on in the hearts of his children of whom he is survived; Mario Parham (Shannon), Kimberly Murphy Grice (Maurico), Elaina Parham, Taurus Waller; and his granddaughters, Nova Parham, Milaya Waller and Myla Waller. He is also survived by siblings; Curtis Murphy (Rayna), Lacie Murphy Cousin, Charles Murphy, Rocky White, Margie White and Jerry Futrell; Special niece; Nedra Dodds, Special nephew; Kevin Murphy (Lavern), special cousins; the Fisher and Anderson families and many, many more. He was proceeded in death by birth parents Lucinda White and Paul Futrell. Rayfield leaves behind a host of special friends, neighbors, colleagues, congregants and extended family to treasure his memory.