Alfred F. “Peter” Murphy ’58
ALFRED F. “PETER” MURPHY, West River, MD/Canaan, VT, died July 20, 2023. He was raised in the Northeast Kingdom in a family home owned by five generations and which his family still owns and cherishes. He fished, trapped and guided in the region’s rivers, lakes and forests, but his fondest memories were acting and singing in his school’s theater and choir productions. His college studies at Saint Michael’s were interrupted due to his service as an airborne infantryman in the Army 82nd Airborne Division’s Pathfinder Platoon in Fort Bragg, NC. Upon returning to college, he earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees. Peter worked briefly as a high school history teacher before beginning a career in the U.S. Customs Service that would span three decades around the world. In 1960 he and his wife moved from Vermont to Washington, DC, for work obligations, before moving their growing family overseas in 1969. They spent the majority of the next two decades abroad. Peter worked as a Senior Customs Advisor and Operations Officer and Chief-of-Party for the U.S. Customs Service, U.S. Department of Treasury, and U.S. Agency for International Development in several postings in Africa and the Middle East. He worked on a variety of projects including the Ethiopian famine crisis, refugee assistance, and establishing the customs services of Liberia, Ethiopia, and United Arab Emirates. In his own words, “my career was highlighted by my ability to adapt to a culture, to work with a hands-on approach, and become one with the people,” wherever he was in the world. In 1980, Peter and his wife built their retirement home on the shores of Lake Champlain in Colchester and later moved to his Vermont hometown of Canaan. For the next 40 years they divided their time between Vermont and Maryland to be closer to their children and grandchildren. Pete was a lifelong learner, particularly about East and West African cultures, and his passion for collecting and trading African Art continued throughout his retirement, with much of his collection donated to art and history museums throughout the U.S., including a donation to Saint Michael’s of over 1,000 books, four African drums, two Ethiopian carpets and some prints from China and India. Every night he would listen to BBC News on his crank radio or watch PBS News Hour to stay up on current global events. He also was a member of the Knights of Columbus. His wife of 63 years, Beverly, and a son predeceased him. Pete is survived two daughters, a son and extended family including grandchildren Shannon Krehely ’16, Hannah Krehely ’19 and Zachary Krehely ’22.
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