Daniel Joseph Murphy III passed away peacefully at his farm on November 3rd, 2023 with his loving wife LaVonne, all of his children, and his dog Chief by his side.

Dan was born the youngest of three children on January 3rd, 1953, at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, CO to Lt. Col. (Ret.) Daniel J. Murphy II and 1st Lt. (Ret.) Ruth Elinor Murphy. His parents’ Army careers took him, his brother Brian and sister Patricia to many locations across the United States and Europe, including Fort Snelling, Fort Campbell, and Baden-Baden, Germany. The family eventually settled at Ruth’s family cabin at Birch Point on Lake Vermilion in Tower, MN in 1961. Dan attended grade school in Tower until 1965 when the family moved to Duluth, MN. Dan began school at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School in 7th grade, where he met the love of his life, LaVonne. Dan graduated from Duluth Cathedral High School in 1971.

After high school, Dan attended the University of Minnesota-Duluth and earned a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Arts and eventually a Master of Environmental Health and Safety. Dan married LaVonne D. Zervas in 1975 and they resided in the French River area where they built their first home together. During this time, Dan worked as a Volkswagen mechanic.

After completing his schooling, Dan began a career in safety, beginning at Reserve Mining in Silver Bay, MN. This vocation later took him and his family to Four Corners, NM, Tucson, AZ, and St. Paul, MN. He ended his career close to where it all began in the Twin Ports area. Dan was a tireless advocate for construction worker safety and was recognized for his life-long effort in this field with the National Safety Council’s Distinguished Service to Safety Award. Dan served on numerous boards and committees dedicated to improving workplace safety and his passion inspired all those he encountered.

Dan was a dedicated and loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, and son. He was proud of his family and always ready to help anyone who needed it. He loved repairing machinery and problem solving on the farm, driving tractors, and spending time with his dog. Dan will be remembered for his blue eyes, big smile, warm heart, quick wit, poised demeanor, and his daily “to-do” lists.

Dan was preceded in death by his parents and siblings.

He is survived by his wife LaVonne, son Daniel Murphy IV (Andrea), daughter Dr. Laura Murphy (Ross Oestreich), son Timothy Murphy (Rachael), and his grandchildren: Cormac, Ronan, Gemma, Augustus, Louis, and Olivia.

Dan’s life will be celebrated with a private ceremony for immediate family.

In lieu of flowers, please consider contributing to the Dan Murphy Memorial Scholarship Fund, dedicated to supporting post-secondary educational opportunities in the construction safety field.

Last Update: Nov 07, 2023 1:41 pm CST