Excell Murphy Jr.

Excell Murphy, Jr. was born on January 7, 1968 in El Dorado, Arkansas to Excell Murphy, Sr. and Dorothy Miller. He and his sister, Beverly Murphy, were raised by their paternal family, specifically, their father; their beloved aunt, Liza MacSanders; and their grandparents, George Harris and Ethel Murphy-Harris. Excell attended El Dorado High School where he showed athleticism via track, football, and bodybuilding. After he graduated in 1986, he left Arkansas to acquire skills at Gary Job Corps Center in San Marcos, Texas. He returned to his hometown where he worked at Foster Farms until 1999 when he relocated to Kansas City, Missouri. He worked at Bratton Corporation until 2006. He completed his career at BNSF Railway/ITS. He met the love of his life, Keyonda Mayfield, in 1999; and became a father to Shacyra Johnson. Excell and Keyonda were married on December 8, 2000. Excell was known for being a reserved individual, but more importantly, he was kind-hearted, generous, down-to- earth, family-oriented, and loyal. He was also notably hard-working; when he wasn't doing overtime at his job, he was putting in work at the gym. Throughout his adulthood, he was a passionate bodybuilder. His will to maintain a healthy body was inspired. His love for football also continued into his adulthood, and he would often challenge guys on Madden NFL. He always won. Additionally, Excell was a comic book enthusiast; he enjoyed Marvel and DC Comics. Not only has he owned countless comic books, but we are confident that he has seen every animation, as well as every movie. Quietly but extremely talented, he could be found drawing comics of his own. To those who truly knew him, Excell was very fun-loving; he shared many laughs with his family and friends. Last but not least, he was a committed deacon at Faith Tabernacle Deliverance Ministries for several years. Since 2014, as a result of a lateral transfer at BNSF Railway/ITS, Excell has been attending Bellevue Baptist Church under the service of Minister Mark Gates in Memphis, Tennessee. He displayed his devotion to Christ in not only his attendance at church, but through his fondness of gospel rap, witty Christian t-shirts, and reading the Bible with his wife. Excell departed his earthly vessel on December 24, 2016 (Christmas Eve) with his wife by his side. He is preceded in death by his father, Excell Murphy, Sr.; aunt, Liza MacSanders; grandfather, George Harris; grandmother, Ethel Murphy-Harris; and his sisters, Alicia Shaw, Shante Shaw, and Marie Shaw. He is survived by his wife, Keyonda Mayfield-Murphy; his daughter, Shacyra Johnson; his mother, Dorothy Miller; his brothers, Thomas Cobb, Jr. and Alton Shaw; and his sisters, Lisa Ann Davis and Beverly Murphy; as well as several nephews and nieces, uncles and aunts, and cousins, as well as his brother from another mother, Robert Miller.