Sally Murphy Etz, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, tech pioneer, and invested and elated member of her community, has passed, joining the stars on Thursday, August 1, 2024.

Sally was the first born of Robert and Frankie Murphy, born in Davenport, Iowa and settled in Moline, IL. She was soon joined by her beloved siblings, Julie and then John. As the young family grew, so did the ambitions of her father, and the whole group settled in Riverside, IL, as Robert rose quickly through the ranks of Borg-Warner Corp, soon becoming General Counsel and then also Vice President. The move to Riverside also came with one more addition to the family: her dear sister Mandy.

1959 marked the end of childhood, and of a blessed period in her life. She graduated from Wellesley College with a degree in mathematics, an accomplishment she treasured to the very end of her life. She married Tony Etz, a handsome Marine whom she met when he was attending Harvard University, and they moved to South Carolina to begin their new life together.

1960 began a long period of beauty, tragedy, and massive accomplishment. In March, 1960, Frankie Murphy was murdered in the notorious Starved Rock killings, just a few weeks before Sally was due to deliver her first child. After the initial shock, Sally, supported by friends and family, gathered strength and welcomed Tony, Jr.

Over the next 8 years, the young family moved from South Carolina to Ohio, to suburban Chicago, where they welcomed their son David, to Durham, NC, and finally to Western Springs, a Chicago suburb that became the family's home for 25 years. Soon after settling in Western Springs, the full family was complete when their two daughters, Kathy, and finally Sara arrived. The house was too small for such a rambunctious quartet of kids, but the environment was loving and adventurous, and all four kids were exposed to arts and taught the value of helping others.

In the early 1970's, Sally became a single mother, and displayed her immense strength to meet any challenge. Neither the social community of Western Springs nor the business community of suburban Chicago were prepared to welcome a strong, intelligent single mother in her mid 30's with four young children. Still, she persevered. With her one great priority providing for her four children, Sally trained herself to write computer code in multiple languages, a career she pursued for the next 45 years, ultimately serving in senior leadership positions despite coming of age at a time during which she was often the sole woman on the team. She led IT departments at Enterprise Paint Company and the Chicago Laborer's and Pension Welfare Fund and provided consulting services for any number of companies. She became a great success and a beloved colleague and boss. Her accomplishments were in service to her children, all of whom grew into happy and self-sufficient young adults. She single-handedly financially supported all four children to attend private college, a point of great pride for her, as education was among her highest priorities.

Sally was a character. As a mother, she made life fun for her children and supported them in their interests. She exposed them to all variety of music, instilling in each of them a strong love of this art form. Going to the movies with mom was a great and regular treat. She took her young daughters to Friday guitar group, where she and the other moms played folk and protest songs while the children sang along. She loved swimming and taught her children some of the tricks she had learned on the synchronized swim team, delighting them by pulling them through routines at the pool. She established many family traditions, including the annual home Christmas pageant, in which her children dressed in costume and re-enacted the night of Christ's birth, followed by gathering around the piano to sing a carol and finally breaking open a piñata. Sally vacationed in Michigan every year of her life with her immediate and extended family, and Dune picnics and hikes, sailing, kayaking, campfire sing-a-longs, and reading near the lake are treasured family memories. As a community member, she always volunteered for at least one organization, often visiting the elderly and welcoming them into her home for holidays. She was a proud member of P.E.O., an organization that raises money to help all women attend university. She played the flute in the community band for 36 years, playing her last concert at the age of 82.

As her kids grew and moved out of the home, Sally realized a dream, moving into the city of Chicago where she had a view of her cherished Lake Michigan. She continued to work, also focusing on other activities that gave her enormous pleasure; volunteering, playing flute and clarinet duets with her sister Julie, regularly attending plays, the symphony, opera, and folk or rock concerts (often with her son David or other children when in town), bird watching, walking along Lake Michigan, weekends with her sisters and her brother-in law Paul, swimming, and biking. And, of course, traveling and visiting with her children.

In her last twenty-four years, she found her greatest happiness, as grandmother to Isaac, Alex, Anna and Lucas. No four kids ever found greater support (each remembers her sweatshirt "grandma's the name, spoiling is my game" as a real way of life), and no woman was ever more beloved by 4 young people. She was interested in every single thing they did, never judged them, and saw them as much as she possibly could. Their grief is real and will take a long time to heal.

In addition to her children and grandchildren, others left behind include daughter-in-law Nancy Etz, son-in-law Joni Mendonça, her sister Mandy Caine and her brothers John and James (Lynnanne) Murphy, nieces and nephews Tracy (Rob) Vaden, Amy (Ben) Maule, Frances and Reuben Murphy, Megan (Rick) and Robin Caine, Jack and McKenna Murphy, and many great-nephews and nieces. Sally delighted in each and every one of these people.

Anyone who knew Sally will remember her smile and how it warmed them. She will be deeply missed by all whose lives she touched, and especially by her family.

A service is being planned for the fall of 2024. Details will be provided at a later date. In remembrance of Sally's life, the family asks that charitable donations be made to one of the following organizations:

Little Brothers – Friends of the Elderly – This is an organization for which Sally volunteered much time over the years.

Alzheimer's Association – Sally and her family hated this disease. Let's do what we can to fight it.

Wellesley College – Sally loved and valued education, especially supporting young women, and was a strong supporter of her beloved alma mater.

See the Memorial Contribution section for how to donate.