Garland Doty Murphy, III

Garland Doty Murphy, III, of Springdale, passed away on Friday, November 5. The THIRD Garland Doty Murphy -- the middle one!! Following on the heels of his dad (the Junior) and his granddad (the Senior). Then followed by his first-born son (the 4th) and his grandson (the 5th). He was pleased to bear this name! Born in El Dorado, Ark., in December 11, 1941, to Garland and Wilma Murphy; valedictorian of El Dorado High School Class of 1959; graduate of Rice University in Houston, Texas; University of Arkansas Medical School graduate in 1967, followed by three years of pediatric specialty training. Although he spent all his growing up years involved in church with his parents, it wasn't until his first year at Rice that a fellow student shared a Campus Crusade tract with him, saying, "Perhaps you can use this to share Christ with others." Little did they know, this was to be the "Aha!" moment in his personal relationship with Christ -- he knew all the facts, but had never acted personally on them. That very night, out under the stars, he declared his trust in Christ alone for his salvation! In the intensity of medical school, Doty found an outlet. He taught himself to play Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven. He found the piano music in his grandmother Arnn's piano bench ,written in SIX sharps!! In the fall of 1963, he was to meet a young couple, Hal and Judy Merwald, who had come to Little Rock as Area Director of Young Life Clubs in Arkansas. Doty's involvement included starting a Young Life Club at Central High School, Little Rock. His friend Hal actually introduced Doty to Phyllis Wilkinson, a Junior Nursing student at Baptist Hospital in Little Rock, AND performed their wedding December 17, 1966. Doty served in the U.S. Public Health Service in Epidemiology for two years, then a year as Director of the Arkansas State Health Department in Little Rock. Going on to Mena, Ark., he joined Dr. Calvin Austin in his medical practice for seven years. Here, he taught a small Bible study, which grew into the founding of Grace Bible Church. What an adventure! Medical mission trips and counseling ministry filled his calendar: China, Haiti, several African countries, Russia, England, Guatemala, Mexico. Two years in Moscow brought great joy to him as he directed and participated in the distribution of Bibles in the city and villages -- so many had never even SEEN a Bible! Doty combined all the best of medicine of yesteryear -- house calls, patients coming to HIS house, answering the phone no matter what. One year at Christmas, his family had a second unlisted phone line installed just for family -- surprise!! Doty was not given the phone number! with openness to cutting edge and "out of the box" medical research/practices. Called to medicine, his focus was the whole person. Vegetable gardens and flower beds -- a favorite!! Family: being an only child himself, he never hesitated to celebrate each of his six children. Christina Murphy Lusk and husband, Larry, of Panama City Beach, Fla.; JuliAnne Murphy and husband, Yor Jimenez, of Little Rock, Ark.; Garland Doty Murphy IV (Land) and wife, Valerie, of Houston, Texas; Hannah Murphy Frantz and husband, Eric, of Dallas, Texas; Zachary Murphy and wife, Laura, of Dallas, Texas; Ann-Phyllis Murphy Elie of Arizona; bonus daughter, Jennifer Dunlap Hines of Rogers, Ark.; bonus international daughter ,Fatemeh SedaghatPour; grands, Caroline Kaufman Day and husband, Dalton, of Rogers, Ark.; Ian Murphy Kaufman and family of Centerton, Ark.; Edward Joren Kaufman of Fayetteville, Ark.; Hayden Doty Kaufman of Davenport, Iowa; Garland Doty Murphy, V (Quinn) of Little Rock, Ark.; Joseph Clay Murphy of Houston, Texas; Sophia Andrade of Cave Springs, Ark.; Evie Elie of Arizona; Zoe Wilma Murphy of Dallas, Texas; AND Reagan Elizabeth Murphy in HEAVEN!! Great-grandsons, Tanner and Riggs Day; Oliver Kaufman; bonus grands: Bo and Allie Hines of Rogers, Ark. Donations and memorial contributions may be made to any of the following (seven of the many organizations that were dear to Doty's heart). Haiti Awake (Orphans) https://www.aplos.com/aws/give/HaitiAwakeInc/general Unfolding Word (Bible translation) https://www.unfoldingword.org/donate First Liberty Institute (legal rights for religious liberty) https://firstliberty.org/donation/support-first-liberty-main/ Loving Choice (pro-life pregnancy centers) https://www.lovingchoices.org/supportvolunteer Far East Broadcast Company (Christian radio presenting Gospel around the world) https://www.febc.org/donate/ Refugee Aid Mission (Refugees who have fled to Jordan) http://refugeeaidmission.com/#give CODE: TR3506 Hillsdale College (an independent conservative Christian college dedicated to religious liberty, the Constitution of the United States, and to truth.) https://secured.hillsdale.edu/hillsdale/support-hillsdale-college Friends may visit with the family from 4 -8 p.m. on Friday, November 12, 2021, at Cross Church Springdale, Ark. A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. at Cross Church in Springdale, Ark., on November 13, 2021, followed by interment at Bluff Cemetery in Springdale, Ark. Backstrom~Pyeatte Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements. To sign online guestbook please go to www.backstrom-pyeatte.com.