Obituary of Kathryn Pearl Murphy

My dear Kathy departed this life doing what she enjoyed, playing the machines at Cripple Creek.Kathy was born in Mott, North Dakota to Antone and Norma Reichert. Kathy was preceded in death by her three older sisters and her parents. She is survived by her daughters Jill and Marti Brickner; her step children, Susan Gardella and Paul Murphy; and her grandsons, Josh and Cody Gardella.Kathy's family moved to Butte, Montana where she graduated from high school. One of her classmates was the famous motorcycle dare devil, Evel Knievel. After graduation she moved to California with her sister Jan where they roamed the area in Kathy's Triumph sport car. Kathy worked in medical records in various hospitals in the San Francisco Bay area. She managed to meet several movie stars when they were filming in the area. Her biggest was Elvis where she got his autograph on one of his record albums while he was filming a movie.It was while living in northern California that she met and married her first husband, Norman Brickner.Their first child, Jill, was born in San Jose. Norm's job brought the family to Colorado Springs where their second child Marti was born. As the children advanced in age, Kathy returned to the work force.She continued with her career in medical records and landed a job at the Air Force Academy Hospital.When her marriage ended in divorce, Kathy moved to a condo on the west side of town where she met her new next door neighbor, Jerry Murphy, an engineer, working at Hewlett Packard. That friendship grew to being a romance leading to their marriage on November 28, 1992.Kathy became a world traveler with trips to Europe, Hong Kong, Australia, and New Zealand. She was also able to become fully immersed in the European life style while living in Amsterdam. Kathy's hobbies were sewing, reading and enjoying live music. She was a big fan of John Denver, Cher, and the local jazz scene. Her sewing hobby became one of her most proud accomplishments. She made hundreds of baby quilts for the Warm Hearts-Warm Babies group. Her gifts of baby quilts and other items enhanced the lives of people in the area who were struggling with the new addition to their family.Her warm and affectionate personality brought her many friends. When told of her passing, the nurses at St. Francis hospital said "she was so sweet". Her doctor said he looked forward to going to her hospital room because she was always warm and welcoming. Funeral Mass, 10:00AM, Wednesday, October 13, 2021, Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 2030 West Colorado Avenue, Colorado 80904. Celebrated by Father Randy Rentner, CSC. Reception to follow Mass in the parish center/gym. Diet Pepsi will be served as it was Kathy's beverage of choice. Interment will follow the reception at Crystal Valley Cemetery in Manitou Springs, Colorado. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Kathy's name to the Our Lady of Perpetual Help building fund, Warm Hearts-Warm Babies, or an organization of your choice would be welcomed. Events Memorial Mass Wednesday, October 13, 2021 10:00AM Sacred Heart Catholic Church 2030 W. Colorado Avenue Colorado Springs,, CO 80904 Phone: 719-633-8711 Final Resting Place Crystal Valley Cemetery Manitou Springs, CO