Tim was born October 6, 1954 in Benning, Georgia, son of Col. (Ret.) James K. and Ellen S. Murphy. He graduated from Immaculata High School in Leavenworth, KS in 1972, Pittsburg State University in 1978, then completed a Master's Degree at Pittsburg State in 1982. He spent nearly his entire working career as a parks and recreation professional and joined Merriam Parks and Recreation in 1997.
Tim was an extremely dedicated employee with an unquenchable passion for his job.
One of Tim's major accomplishments was the development of this gallery. During his 15 years with the City of Merriam, Tim organized 188 art exhibitions, including monthly art shows, the Heartland national juried shows, and High School Visual Art Competitions.
The City of Merriam Parks and Recreation Department named this gallery in his memory on March 3, 2012.