Joe Ervin Murphy, 91, of Mocksville, peacefully entered the more immediate presence of the Lord on February 17, 2026.

He was born in Mocksville, on August 25, 1934, to the late Ernest Ervin and Margaret Nail Murphy.

Growing up in a small town, Joe spent a lot of time "hanging out" near the dime store run by his mother and aunt. In high school, he worked at the Princess Movie Theater (conveniently located next to the dime store) where he cleaned the theater, sold tickets, and ran concessions, though he enjoyed popping (and eating) popcorn most of all. This love of popcorn continued throughout his life.

Joe graduated from Mocksville High School in 1952. In high school he was active in many clubs and he was also a bus driver. The class motto that appeared next to his name in the yearbook said, "I can resist everything, except temptation."

He went on to attend North Carolina State College (now known as NC State University) in Raleigh. While in college, he was a member of the Army ROTC. Joe graduated in 1958 with a degree in Industrial Technology.

After graduation he worked for Western Electric in Winston-Salem as a Manufacturing Engineer. At Western Electric, he met Nancy Madge Kelly. They married in 1959.

While working at Western Electric he was a reservist with the Army Signal Corp. In 1961, Joe was called to active duty during the Berlin Wall Crisis and the family moved to Fayetteville for one year. After the year of active service, Joe was given an honorable discharge from the Army and he returned to his job at Western Electric. Later in his career he became a project manager with the company and spent a significant amount of time traveling to various states to supervise the installation of his product lines into the field. Joe retired as a Senior Project Manager in 1989 with the closure of the manufacturing plant in Winston-Salem.

Known for his community involvement, Joe was a past member of the Winston-Salem Jaycees, President of the Mocksville Elementary PTA, and President of the Mocksville Jaycees. Active in politics and wanting to make a difference in his community, he was elected to the Davie County School Board and later was elected to the Mocksville Town Board. He was also a licensed Lay Reader in the Episcopal Church and was a member of the Mocksville Masonic Lodge.

An avid NC State fan, he supported NC State athletics for years as a season ticket holder for football and men's basketball, and he served as the local Wolfpack Club county chairman. He and Nancy loved following the Wolfpack and attending games while their health allowed.

In the early 1970s, Joe was bitten by the "flying bug" after taking an introductory flying lesson. Not long after he obtained his private pilot's license, he bought stock in and became a partial owner of Twin Lakes Airport. When he retired from AT&T, he became the full-time manager of the airport. Although Joe had his private, instrument, and commercial aviation licenses, he had very little time to fly with the added responsibilities. Joe retired as the airport manager in 1996, and the airport sold in 2002.

In his retirement, he was fully committed to caring for Nancy who was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy in the early years of their marriage. Joe made sure Nancy had the best of everything whether she needed it or not.

In addition to his parents, Joe was preceded in death in 2020 by Nancy Kelly Murphy, his loving wife of 61 years. Surviving are his two sons, Steven Murphy (Diane) of Raleigh and Michael Murphy (Lana) of Lake Stevens, WA; five grandchildren, Eric (Mirelle) and Joshua (Frida) of Sweden, Daniel (Chloe) of Spokane, WA, and Eryn and Zachary (Molly) of Raleigh; and four great-grandchildren, Collin, Bjorn, Millie, and Milo of Sweden. His grandchildren were "Papa Joe's" pride and joy as he was always sharing their accomplishments with others. Additionally, a niece, Dr. Kathleen Kelly of Kingsport, TN; and a nephew, Thomas Kelly (Kimberly) of Boca Raton, FL.

There are many individuals to express appreciation to for their assistance over the years, but the family would like to especially recognize and extend a heartfelt thank you to Becky Macey and Karen Wall for the loving care and support they have provided to Joe. Additionally, a note of appreciation to Terry Florence, Monica Jordan, Barbara McDaniel, Dwayne Smith, and the staff at Davie Rehabilitation and Nursing Center.

To honor Joe's request there will not be a public memorial service. A private burial will be at a later date at Rose Cemetery in Mocksville.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggest memorial contributions to Storehouse for Jesus, 675 Lexington Road, Mocksville, NC 27028.

Online condolences: www.lambertfuneralhomenc.com