Claudene Murphy

Claudene Whitaker Murphy, 85, died on Aug. 3, 2006, after a long illness. She was born in Wirt, Okla., on June 6, 1921, to Edith B. and Claude R. Whitaker. A graduate of the University of Oklahoma, she taught art in the Ponca City school system in Ponca City, Okla. She and her husband, John, became Colorado residents in 1974, living first in Denver, and then, after retirement, at Crystal Lakes and Park Lane Towers in Fort Collins. She enjoyed oil painting and had many artist friends in Red Feather and Crystal Lakes, and previously in Ponca City. She also enjoyed reading and working as a volunteer in the Red Feather Library. She served on the Library Board for several years, including the years when the new library was planned, built, and dedicated. She is survived by her husband, John; a son, John Bradford, of Fayetteville, Ark.; three grandchildren, Caitlin, Kendal, and Collin, also of Fayetteville; a sister, Rosemary Whitaker, of Fort Collins; and a brother and sister-in-law, Gerald B. and Elizabeth Whitaker of Tucson, Ariz. A service will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday at the Chapel in the Pines in Red Feather Lakes. The family requests that memorial donations be made to Hospice of Larimer County, 7604 Colland Drive, Fort Collins 80525.