Kothesa Janut Murphy

Kothesa Janut Murphy passed away in Albany, Oregon, on Monday, September 05, 2022, at the age of 75, after a long struggle with dementia. Kothesa is survived by her two sons, and four grandchildren.

Kothesa was born in New York City on December 11, 1946, the third child of Daisy and Adris Bhuya. She grew up in Long Island and attended Queens College, from which she graduated with an associate degree in nursing. In 1968 she moved to California to attend the University of Southern California, earning a bachelor’s degree in sociology. During this time, in addition to her work as a registered nurse, she modelled for Elite modelling agency, which gave her the opportunity to travel across Europe and other parts of the world. While working as a nurse at San Francisco General Hospital in the early 1970s, she met Kevin Murphy, who was then completing an internship in general surgery. They fell in love and married soon after.

The young couple relocated to Long Beach, where Kothesa earned a master’s degree in criminal justice from California State University. In 1974 Kothesa began work as a field investigator for the California Department of Motor Vehicles, the only female in this role at her office. She left the job after the birth of her first son, Paul. The birth of Luke followed two years later, and the family soon moved to Indiana, where the boys grew up.

Starting in 1982, Kothesa taught criminology and criminal justice and was the field placement supervisor at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, a role she held until her retirement. During her time at Purdue, she helped many students launch their careers and worked closely with the Tippecanoe County law enforcement community.

In 2002, Kevin and Kothesa retired to their vacation home on Cape San Blas, Florida, with a series of very large dogs, mostly Irish wolfhounds. Kothesa joined Kevin volunteering with Amigos for Christ, making several trips to rural Nicaragua and St. Lucia, providing general health care to impoverished, isolated villages. She was also a keen volunteer for the St Joseph Bay Humane Society, helping to raise money for the shelter. Kevin passed away in 2015, but they had many years of joy. Kothesa will be dearly missed by her sons, their families, her friends, and many others.

Those wishing to make memorial donations may make them to the St Joseph Bay Humane Society, https://www.sjbhumanesociety.org/donate

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